OKLAHOMA CITY — Over 3 million COVID-19 vaccines doses have been administered in Oklahoma, the latest numbers show.
“I want to say a sincere thank you to all the Oklahomans who have stepped up to receive their COVID-19 vaccination and done their part to protect the lives and health of communities across the state,” said Deputy Commissioner Keith Reed with the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH). “This spring we set a goal to administer three million doses by Memorial Day. Though we didn’t quite reach that goal, we had administered over 2.9 million doses by Memorial Day weekend. Many Oklahomans took action against COVID-19, and we’re very grateful for that.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) online tracker, which incorporates vaccination data for both state and federal doses administered, Oklahoma has administered 3,004,221 total doses as of today, June 10.
“Beyond reaching a certain milestone, we want to continue to stress the importance of receiving the vaccine for yourself and those around you. We have plenty of vaccine waiting for all Oklahomans 12 and older who want it, and we encourage anyone to sign up for an appointment as soon as they are ready,” he added.
“Your decision to get the vaccine has a tangible impact. It keeps you and those around you safe, healthy and out of the hospital, and it stops the spread of COVID-19 in our state. Because of this vaccine, we have seen incredible efficacy nationwide at slowing transmission of this virus.”
Anyone can schedule an appointment now using the state’s vaccine portal or by checking with one of our hundreds of pandemic providers across the state, personal providers or use the federal vaccine finder to check for appointments. Many providers are also offering walk-in appointments or clinics at local events.
Also on Friday, it was announced the CDC has awarded the Oklahoma State Department of Health, the Oklahoma (City) County Health Department and the Tulsa County Health Department $53,451,913 to address COVID-19-related health disparities.
The funding, part of a $2.25 billion nationwide investment, seeks to advance health equity by expanding state, local, US territorial, and freely associated state health department capacity and services. This is CDC’s largest investment to date to improve health equity in the United States.
The intended outcomes of these grants are to 1) reduce COVID-19-related health disparities, 2) improve and increase testing and contact tracing among populations that are at higher risk and are underserved, including racial and ethnic minority groups and people living in rural communities, and 3) improve state, local, US territorial, and freely associated state health department capacity and services to prevent and control COVID-19 infection.
“The pandemic has laid bare longstanding health inequities, and health departments are on the front line of efforts to address those inequities,” said José T. Montero, M.D., director of CDC’s Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support. “These grants will provide these health departments with much needed support to address disparities in communities that need it most.”
