Did No-Bid Contract Bring Increased Vaccination Rates To One Phoenix ZIP Code?
Arizona recently poured $1.2 million into a pilot program designed to increase vaccinations in one low-income, Hispanic ZIP code.
When that program began, the 85009 ZIP code, just west of the state Capitol, had among the lowest vaccination rates in the county.
The state awarded a no-bid contract to Mario Diaz, a former campaign consultant for Gov. Doug Ducey, and $1.2 million later, the 85009 ZIP code is still at the bottom of the list.
But now the state wants to expand that pilot program, putting another $3 million into an education campaign in other low-income, low-vaccination neighborhoods.
To learn more about this program and the man who got the contract, The Show spoke with Dennis Welch, political reporter at Arizona's Family.