The launch of the US COVID-19 vaccine has been slower than expected this month, raising fears that the federal government has mismanaged the effort and that people will have to wait longer months than expected to get the shot.
Federal officials defended the program, insisting that bringing the vaccine to the American people in less than a year was another technical feat and that the program was on track.
However, they acknowledged that the effort fell short of expectations, and vaccine experts and public health officials warned that the larger test would take place next year, when the inventory would finally expand and the general public would raise their hands. for a shot.
“It’s very difficult to administer each dose when you prioritize it and try to avoid wastage,” said Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers.
“But when we get into a position of mass clinics and everyone has access, we will be much more efficient in getting it,” she said.
President Donald Trump initially promised 300 million doses by January 2021 when he announced Operation Warp Speed, then later this fall dropped the estimate to 100 million. After Pfizer adjusted its production estimates, Health Secretary Alex Azar promised 40 million doses at hand and 20 million vaccinations by the end of the year.
Instead, the administration was well on its way to delivering those 20 million doses by the first week of January – enough for the first doses of the two-dose vaccine – with only 2.6 million vaccines registered by the federal government.
Trump blamed the states for not moving fast enough.
“The federal government has distributed the vaccines to states. It is now up to states to administer them,” he wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.
A few hours later, Trump’s top scientific adviser on the vaccination program, Moncef Slaoui, acknowledged “the number is lower than I hoped.”
“There is a learning curve in the system,” Slaoui told reporters.
Vaccine experts and public health officials say they are not yet ready to sound the alarm, but cite many smaller logistical challenges that have complicated the launch: a vaccine that has specific handling requirements and hospitals that must fail for injections. front. employees of the line hospital based on the latest transport numbers.
Holidays and snowstorms have not helped, and a federally run partnership with major pharmacies to deliver vaccines to nursing homes has just begun. States participating in that program were also asked to keep some doses in reserve.
“Receiving, preparing, and administering vaccines takes time,” said Kris Ehresmann, director of the Minnesota Department of Health’s Infectious Diseases Division.
New Jersey Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli has suggested that Pfizer vaccinations are fast-paced – almost 60% of the doses administered so far – but Moderna doses have been slightly blocked because they were “administered just before Christmas.” .
“There were no vaccinations on the 25th, and the other day people didn’t want to be sick – they were worried we wouldn’t feel good about the holidays, so he checked again,” Persichilli said.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health also cited the holidays and a major snowstorm associated with the challenge of vaccinating an already large hospital staff. The Colorado Department of Public Health said hospitals are trying to schedule vaccinations among employees if there are temporary reactions that cause staff to turn to patients.
“I really expect next week, when the holidays are over, for these numbers to grow rapidly, as jurisdictions move rapidly to protect their health care staff and also the residents of long-term care institutions.” , said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Blaire Bryant, associate legislative director for health at the National Association of Counties, agreed that the slower-than-expected launch is not yet a problem. But counties are worried if there is enough money to see them through a nationwide launch in the spring, she said.
The federal government has sent $ 340 million to states in recent months, but that money has slowed to drain as cash-strapped states sort out competing priorities, creating what Bryant called a “barrier” that could be addressed with direct cash and flexible grants.
Bryant said many overwhelmed local communities could also use more help with public messaging tailored to their area, as well as more details on what to expect in the coming weeks. The initial allocation was based on the adult population of each state. It is not known whether federal officials could change this formula to account for outbreaks or whether a community could end up choosing the vaccine of their choice.
“It’s a slow launch right now and we’ll wait and see how we get to that stage of mass vaccination … If it doesn’t meet the needs of the ground, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Bryant said.
Hannan, from the Association of Immunization Managers, agreed that expanding the launch of the vaccine behind the medical staff is her biggest concern. Until hospitals and nursing homes are covered and people over the age of 65 and essential workers are invited to shoot, there will be less concern about the correct allocation. But the government will need to have enough suppliers registered to launch it nationwide next spring.
This means enlisting primary care physicians, local pharmacies, and others to jump on board with federal requirements that show they can store, handle, and administer vaccines properly.
“Anything that needs to be done will be done,” Hannan said. – But there will be problems.
Larry Hogan, the governor of the state of Maryland, told CBS This Morning that, in general, the program is partly behind, as the federal government overpriced for deliveries earlier this fall, and production levels have changed. But the logistical challenges are also considerable.
“It’s not just sticking needles in your arms; there are a lot of moving parts. I think no one is performing well enough and we have to work together to lift it,” he said.
Sophie Tatum of ABC News contributed to this report.