Puerto Rico -- in recent years pummeled by deadly hurricanes, rocked by earthquakes, beset by political unrest and saddled by debt -- has quietly managed to outpace even New England states with the highest vaccination rates in the country.
"There is a Walgreens on like every corner," said Rafael Irizzary, a professor of biostatistics at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health."Everywhere you go, they have everything you need. Rum. Coffee. You get your fireworks and then you go get a vaccine."Irizzary was only half joking about vaccination rates and Puerto Rico's more than 100 Walgreens outlets.
"It's really about the fact there are hundreds of people -- if not thousands -- right now walking around somewhere in Puerto Rico and they wouldn't be there if it wasn't for these efforts."Dr. Iris Cardona, chief medical officer of the island's health department, attributed the success to teamwork by the scientific community, the private sector, government agencies, medical associations and schools, the National Guard and religious and municipal leadership.