Select Key Metrics on COVID-19

Hospital Bed COVID-19 RELATED HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS

Rates of hospitalizations and COVID-19 related deaths per 100,000 people.

 Vaccination Vaccination Rates

Percent of Philadelphia residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19; percent of Philadelphia residents receiving at least 1 dose of vaccine against COVID-19.

Background

Non-Hispanic Black Philadelphians have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, facing the highest rates of hospitalization and mortality.

COVID Hospitalizations and Deaths

Source: COVID Deaths and COVID Hospitalizations by Race, Open Data Philly | July 2021.

Despite the high effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines in preventing hospitalization and death, rates of vaccination lag in non-Hispanic Black and lower income communities.

COVID Vaccinations

Source: COVID-19 Vaccine Data, City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Accessed August 2021.

SYSTEMIC DRIVERS OF DISPARITIES

Nationally, rates of COVID-19 exposure, illness, hospitalization, and death are higher among Hispanic or Latino, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander people.

Overrepresentation in essential work settings, inability to take off work, crowded living conditions, and reliance on public transportation place some racial and ethnic groups at disproportionately high risk of COVID-19 exposure. 

Reduced access to COVID-19 testing may also place underserved communities at a higher risk of COVID-19 infection.

Risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death are increased in some racial/ethnic groups due to limited access to healthcare, gaps in education, income, and wealth. Historically excluded communities also experience worse general health status as a result of social determinants of health such as poor neighborhood conditions or socioeconomic disadvantage.

Ongoing Efforts in the Philadelphia Community

Leaders from Penn Medicine, Mercy Catholic Medical Center, and the Philadelphia community partnered on designing and running a series of community-based clinics that vaccinated almost 3,000 people in 3 Saturdays, 85 percent of whom were Black. The effort leveraged the strengths of each partner, enabling community COVID-19 vaccine ambassadorship and locating clinics in the heart of Black communities, the development of a no/low-tech hybrid automated text message and phone-based sign-up and intake platform, and the use of a rapid-cycle innovation approach that prioritized adaptable and scalable efficiency in a variety of community settings.

Efforts listed here may be independent of Accelerate Health Equity. Check back to learn about a broader list of health equity efforts.