COVID-19 vaccine rates in Brentwood, Santa Monica twice as high as poorer L.A. County areas

Anthony Angulo, 71, center, waits for his turn to get a COVID-19 vaccine shot at a mobile vaccination site at South Park Recreation Center on Feb. 9.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

By RONG-GONG LIN II, LUKE MONEY MARCH 2, 2021 UPDATED 3:04 PM PT

New data continue to show that areas of Los Angeles County hardest hit by the pandemic have low rates of COVID-19 vaccinations, while inoculations are the highest in neighborhoods that have been relatively spared the worst of the coronavirus’ devastation.

The relatively wealthy communities of Brentwood, Culver City, South Pasadena, Arcadia, Santa Monica and Porter Ranch all have had more than 20% of their populations vaccinated despite having some of the lowest coronavirus case rates in the county.

By contrast, some lower-income communities with the highest rates of coronavirus cases — such as Bell, Cudahy and South L.A. — have had less than 10% of their populations vaccinated.

More than 28% of Brentwood residents have been vaccinated, data show. In South Pasadena, that number is nearly 24%. But in some parts of South L.A., vaccinations were running at less than 7%. In southeastern Los Angeles County, Cudahy has had only 7% of its residents vaccinated, while Bell is at nearly 9%.

“The inequities continue to play out as we’re working to vaccinate our communities,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said at a briefing Monday.

Areas with highest vaccination rates in L.A. County. (Los Angeles County)

Prior analyses by L.A. County public health officials have found out that the lowest vaccination rates are in places such as South L.A., the Eastside, the eastern San Fernando Valley, the Antelope Valley, several regions of the San Gabriel Valley and areas near the ports.

Neighborhoods with high coronavirus case rates often had low vaccination rates. (L.A. County Department of Public Health)

The analyses have a limitation in that cities have different proportions of populations eligible for the vaccine. “Despite this limitation, the findings are deeply concerning and provide further illustration of the deeply rooted health inequities that exist in our society,” Dr. Paul Simon, the L.A. County Department of Public Health’s chief science officer, said recently.

The unequal vaccine distribution underscores the larger way COVID-19 has struck communities of color — particularly Latino areas.

A Times data analysis found that while poorer communities like East L.A. and the east San Fernando Valley were devastated by the winter coronavirus surge, other areas were barely touched.

In West Hollywood, Malibu and Playa del Rey, infection rates actually dropped or increased much less than elsewhere, according to the Times analysis of more than 300 neighborhoods and cities across the county. Those communities’ relative good fortune can be explained by some obvious demographic factors, such as Malibu’s low housing density and West Hollywood’s large population of single residents able to work from home.

Data Source: Los Angeles Times

Updated: MARCH 2, 2021