BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - The 14211 zip code in the City of Buffalo and Cheektowaga has the fewest percentage of its population vaccinated. The Buffalo councilman representing that zip code is encouraging constituents in that zip code to get a dose, saying the benefits outweigh the risks.
"There's a lot of folks out here who have a lot of distrust of the government," Masten District Councilman Ulysees Wingo said. "Of course, there's a population out here who's calling and saying 'I told you so' now that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been paused by the CDC...but I still encourage folks to get it because the benefits outweigh the risks. The disease has been killing people. We're well over 600,000 Americans, and one American is too many."
As of Tuesday, the 14211 zip code has 16.8% of the population vaccinated. The neighboring zip codes of 14212, 14207, 14208, 14210, 14215, 14206, and 14204 all have vaccination percentages of less than 25%.
Vaccines appointments have become more widely available in Western New York because there is less demand than in the early days of the pandemic. 42% of Erie County residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to state figures. Roughly 40% of New Yorkers have received at least one dose.
"That's great news and we knew that was going to happen as they duplicate and reproduce the vaccine," Wingo said.
But he still said the jury is still out on why more people have not been vaccinated.
"I believe we need to continue to study the outcomes and make sure we have metrics available to the public so they can look at and determine for themselves," Wingo said. "By simply looking at the data, they can see the vaccines are safe."
Though he is eligible, Wingo said he has not been vaccinated yet because he is waiting for members of his church to get vaccinated before him.
"My mother would say all the time, and this is about everything across the board, it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it," he said.
Vaccine appointments are available at places like Delavan Grider Community Center, The Conference Center Niagara Falls, the University at Buffalo's South Campus, ECC North and South Campus, KeyBank Center, and area pharmacies.
