Kern County’s vaccination rate has increased by three percent over the past month.

As of Tuesday, 43.5 percent of Kern’s eligible population — those 12 and older — have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, which is only a 2 percent increase from three weeks ago.

On July 20, Brynn Carrigan, the director of Kern Public Health, told the Board of Supervisors that 41.3 percent of Kern’s eligible population was fully vaccinated. And just a week before, only 40.7 percent of Kern’s eligible population was fully vaccinated.

“Vaccination is the fastest, safest, most controlled setting in which we can develop immunity against COVID-19,” said Brynn Carrigan, Director of Public Health.  “Masking, physical distancing, washing hands, covering coughs, staying home when sick or exposed, and staying in overall good health by eating well and regularly exercising are all layers of protection that we encourage our community to use to limit the transmission of COVID-19.”  

Out of the 326,342 fully vaccinated residents in Kern County, only 0.06 percent have tested positive and 0.003 percent have been hospitalized.

Since January 21, 2021, the date people could be first considered fully vaccinated in Kern, unvaccinated individuals have accounted for 99.19 percent of all COVID cases and 99.26 percent of all COVID hospitalizations.

Hospital rates are also continuing to rise. As of Monday, Kern County had 165 COVID-19 related hospitalizations and 35 were in the ICU. This is a significant jump from where Kern was at nearly a month ago, when just 34 patients were being hospitalized on July 11, according to the California Department of Public Health.

“California as a whole is experiencing significant increased transmission from COVID-19,” said Kern Public Health in a news release. 

In the most recent three weeks, there has been a 53.8 percent increase in first doses of the COVID-19 vaccines administered in Kern County.

“With the arrival of the more transmissible Delta variant, it is imperative that all eligible residents get vaccinated to protect against severe illness and death due to COVID-19,” Kern Public Health said in a news release.

Vaccination appointments for individuals aged 12+ can be made by visiting myturn.ca.gov.

Visit www.kernpublichealth.com to stay informed on COVID-19.