By Denise Dador and Jory Rand
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- In a trend described as "very worrisome," the number of people getting their first COVID-19 vaccination at Los Angeles County sites dropped significantly over the past week, marking the first such drop and leading to more calls Thursday for people get the shots and propel the county toward a return to normalcy.
County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer didn't have an exact number of how many appointments went unfilled over the past week, but said county-operated vaccination sites saw sharp drops in people coming in for their first dose.
That means the county, for the first time, will likely fall short of its goal of administering 95% of the doses it receives within one week.
"We've seen a significant drop here in L.A. County with people getting vaccinated, and it's very worrisome. Very worrisome," Ferrer said.
L.A. County health officials are changing their approach as they try to reach more people who still haven't gotten their shots.
Ferrer says moving vaccine sites into communities will be the next area of focus.
"The strategy moving forward for all of us is going to be to make it as easy as possible for people to get vaccinated, and for some that's going to mean that we're going to bring the vaccine close to where you are already at," Ferrer said.
On Thursday, that meant bringing vaccines to bars. In downtown L.A., a vaccination pop-up clinic was held at the Redline - Food & Bar, where about two dozen people came out to dine and get inoculated.
In South L.A., people can walk up and get a shot without an appointment at Kedren Community Health Center, where extra unused doses are being brought.
The vaccination efforts continued in Pasadena as high school seniors lined up to get their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
"I'm actually happy because I know some people last year weren't able to graduate and that was one of my biggest worries," student Naomi Martinez said.
Students and families from various Pasadena high schools attended the special clinic designed to get families protected in time for a June 4 Rose Bowl graduation.
The Pasadena Unified School District won't be asking graduate attendees to show proof of vaccination, but students getting their shots feel they're doing their best to get protected.
Meanwhile, as cases continue to dwindle, L.A. County is poised to move into the least restrictive yellow tier next week.
Ferrer again issued a public plea for people to get vaccinated, noting that shots will continue to be offered without appointments at all county sites through at least next week.
She pointed to notable improvements in vaccination rates among Latino and Black communities, which have been lagging behind in the inoculation effort despite having the highest case rates.
But she also pointed to lagging vaccination rates in multiple communities, including the Antelope Valley, Lancaster, Palmdale, South Los Angeles and East Los Angeles.
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