The City of Philadelphia on Thursday released vaccination rates for its employees, divided by department. The data were compiled through a combination of records submitted by employees along with other vaccine records maintained by the Health Department.
The rates only include workers who received their doses in Philadelphia.
According to WHYY, the most vaccinated city department is the Law Department, where 91% to 100% of workers are vaccinated. Also among the departments with the highest vaccination rates were the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Mayor’s Office, Innovation and Technology, and the Department of Public Health, all ranging from 81 to 90% vaccinated as of Thursday.
The least vaccinated department was the Streets Department, where just 41% to 50% of workers are vaccinated.
Between 51 and 60% of employees are vaccinated in both the Philadelphia police and fire departments. That range represents a jump from just over a week ago when the mayor’s office reported that only 13% of police officers were vaccinated.
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Health Department spokesman James Garrow said the reported percentages were for the number of people in those departments who submitted proof of vaccination to the city’s human resources system. This percentage is based on actual records maintained by the city and does not rely on workers reporting their vaccination rates.
The current Philadelphia mandate requires any city employee who is not vaccinated to double mask at all times.
Great progress
“Our goal is [to] make sure that everyone in the city, employees and otherwise, gets vaccinated,” said Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole in a statement. “While we’re making great progress on that, there’s still plenty of work to do.”
Bettigole added that to help encourage city employees to get vaccinated, the Health Department will continue to provide educational resources regarding vaccine safety and effectiveness. As for all Philadelphians, to place vaccine clinics in the areas of the city with the lowest vaccination rates. Non-uniformed employees also get four hours of time off if they upload their vaccination status to the city’s system.