(Christophe Archambault / Pool Photo via AP)
PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Health Services changed its total coronavirus vaccination on Thursday, saying the changes came from taking the time to validate data received by the department.
“The new validated number becomes the basis for continuous real-time reporting,” ADHS Director Dr. Cara Christ said in a blog post. “Meanwhile, finding duplicates in data addresses issues and improves the real-time data we report on a daily basis.”
Christ noted that, unlike coronavirus cases and deaths, the two doses of COVID-19 vaccine require “additional steps for data matching and deduplication.”
“Similar to the first time we completed the matching of the death data, the first merger, matching and cleaning of the data results in a significant change in the number of records identified and removed (or added),” Christ said.
On Wednesday, the department said more than 119,000 coronavirus vaccines had been distributed in the state; however, they downgraded on Thursday, saying about 113,000 vaccines were given as a result of the data cleanup.
In general, the state has slowed the distribution of the coronavirus vaccine since receiving the first shipments in mid-December.
Arizona counties are slowly moving from Phase 1A to 1B vaccine distribution. Phase 1A gave priority to health workers and those who work and live in long-term care facilities.
Apache, Pinal and Gila counties have started vaccinating those in 1B, which includes teachers, adults aged 75 and over, essential workers and high-risk adults in congregation settings.
Maricopa County said Wednesday it will enter Phase 1B next week.
The arrival of the vaccine and the acceleration of the distribution process take place as the state continues to reach new levels of pandemic.
On Thursday, health officials reported 9,913 new cases of coronavirus and recorded 297 additional deaths, bringing the state’s documented total to 584,593 COVID-19 infections and 9,741 deaths.