News

SF reaches milestone as 70% of the City's Black, African-American population has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose

The vaccination rate among Black, African-American individuals in SF is a testament to strong community partnerships and a drive toward equity.
October 08, 2021

The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) announced today that 70% of eligible SF Black/African American residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The City will continue to ensure vaccine access with a special focus on neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.  

“From the beginning of our vaccine rollout, we’ve been focused on reaching communities that have historically been underserved by meeting people where they are, partnering with community organizations, and ensuring that our outreach is equitable and effective,” said Mayor London Breed. “This is another good milestone, we also need to remember that COVID is not over and we still need more people to get vaccinated. If you know people who are still unvaccinated, please encourage them to get the vaccine. They’re free, they’re safe, and will protect you and your community.” 

SF vaccination rates are among the highest in the nation and the world. In partnership with many community organizations, the City has achieved this by developing a robust, low-barrier distribution system to ensure that communities hardest hit by the disease have access to vaccinations. At 70%, more than 30,000 SF residents who are Black/African American have received a first dose of the vaccine, which is well above state (57%) and national (37%) averages.  

"Our joint efforts working together to slow the spread of COVID-19 have paid off,” said Director of Health, Dr. Grant Colfax. “Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have prioritized communities most disproportionately impacted by the virus and have ensured that our vaccination and testing investments, and infrastructure, are equitable. We thank our community partners for their tremendous leadership to get us to this point. While we celebrate, we encourage every eligible person in the city to get vaccinated, and continue to exercise caution to slow the spread of COVID-19.”    

While SF has seen tremendous progress in its vaccination efforts, the City is laser-focused on ramping up vaccine opportunities in neighborhoods with lower vaccination uptake. The City is working with trusted community partners on low barrier drop-in appointments at clinics and hospitals, going door-to-door, hosting family day events, and providing mobile vaccination drives to serve people with challenges accessing vaccines, all in partnership with the community.  These efforts have resulted in a higher proportion of the DPH-administered vaccinations going to people of color. 

 "This effort was successful through strong partnership between DPH staff, community-based organizations and community leaders. The health disparities seen in this pandemic are part of a larger history of inequity. We hope the partnerships and innovation that led to success in COVID vaccination efforts can lead to improvements in health equity broadly," said Dr. Ayanna Bennett , Director of SFDPH’s Office of Health Equity 

Among the health providers and community partners that have helped the City reach the 70% milestone are Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates, Booker T. Washington,  Community Awareness Resource Entity (C.A.R.E), Community Service Center, George Davis Senior Center,  I.T. Bookman Community Center, Mother Brown’s, Rafiki Coalition for Health and Wellness, San Francisco African American Faith Based Coalition, Third Street Youth Center and Clinic, Umoja Health, Urban Services YMCA, and YMCA-Bayview. 

The Public Health Department encourages all those eligible to get vaccinated as soon as possible, so that SF and the entire Bay Area can continue to safely reopen. For additional vaccine information, appointments, and more vaccination sites, please visit: Sf.gov/get-vaccinated or call (628) 652-2700.