There’s still a long way to go before we reach the 70% to 80% vaccination rates experts say will allow life to return to something like normal. But COVID-19 vaccination efforts have been picking up pace in Arizona. The state has been administering more than 40,000 shots per day recently. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report 23% of adults 18 and older in Arizona have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Thursday, slightly ahead of the U.S. average of 21%. Vaccination rates are highest among older Arizonans. In Maricopa County, two out of three adults 75 or older have had a shot.

Dr. Joe Gerald with the Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona wrote in a recent COVID-19 report that Arizona remains in a state of elevated risk, but said, "while I believe this winter’s outbreak will be Arizona’s largest, a smaller wave is possible this spring. However, a spring wave should it occur will pose a lesser threat as most of those at risk of hospitalization and death will have been vaccinated. For this reason, the short-term outlook remains favorable."

The state health department expects Arizona’s allocation of doses to increase over the next few months. A third vaccine from Johnson & Johnson is set to start arriving in the state next week.

→ Q&AZ: What You Need To Know About Getting The Coronavirus Vaccine In Arizona