By Stephanie Innes | Arizona Republic
Pinal County, reversing a previous decision, will accept a $3.4 million federal grant aimed at improving vaccine equity.
The all-Republican Pinal County Board of Supervisors, which serves as the board of directors of the county’s public health district, this month decided 3-2 in favor of accepting the federal COVID-19 relief grant after initially rejecting it in a 3-2 vote Sept. 1.
The September decision stunned county health officials. The money had been earmarked to do outreach and vaccine education in underserved communities with limited access to pharmacies and health providers. The number of Pinal County residents who have received the COVID-19 vaccine lags behind state and national averages, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.
