Like we've seen elsewhere, more men in Los Angeles County are dying of COVID-19 yet it's women who have the higher vaccination rate.
The mortality rate for men here is nearly double that of women.
And it's even higher for men of color.
But far fewer men are getting vaccinated.
The latest update indicates about 44% of women in the county had gotten at least one dose, compared to only 30% of men.
"We'll all need to work much harder to make sure that men, who have the greatest chances of dying from COVID-19, are aware of their risk, and we are making it very easy for them to get vaccinated," said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
She said she recently met a dad taking his two adult children in for vaccination but he had not gotten a shot.
"He knew it was super important for his children to get the vaccine and he wasn't that worried at all about himself. I was worried about him as were his children. And as the data clearly shows, we should all make sure the men in our community know that vaccinations are one way we get to protect each other," said Ferrer.
Vaccine eligibility in the county will be expanded Thursday to all residents 16 and older, although some sites have decided to drop age restrictions sooner.
Ferrer added the state's MyTurn website will be updated on Wednesday so those becoming eligible later this week can start booking appointments.
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