States, counties and cities say they no longer have coronavirus vaccines, leading to canceled or postponed appointments for thousands of people, even as the country tries to speed up vaccination.
Health officials are desperate for clarity from the federal government about vaccine shipments, saying they need exact numbers for planning weeks in advance.
Instead, the figures came only one week in a row and were not consistent.
The Biden administration is committed to working with states to improve communication, but is currently working to find out how much vaccine is available.
“Allocation and supply are critical areas in which, unfortunately, we have not had much visibility” Jeff Zients
Jeff ZientsBiden is pressured to provide more photos COVID-19 Jaws: We don’t “start from scratch” when distributing the vaccine These are the executive orders Biden signed in the first three days, COVID-19 coordinator of President Biden told reporters.
“We will work to provide supply projections. We always hear from local governors and leaders that they just don’t know what supply is coming and can’t plan. We will do absolutely, in the coming days, as we welcome with our arms around what is happening, make sure we communicate with states and localities so that they can prepare effectively, “Zients added.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, states have administered only 47% of the nearly 40 million doses administered. But experts say that these figures do not show a complete picture and do not necessarily mean that vaccines are unused.
“I know there is a perception that the vaccine has not gone out fast enough,” but that is not the case, said Thomas Dobbs, a Mississippi state officer.
Speaking in a podcast with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, Dobbs said Mississippi will run out of doses soon.
“Most of the doses I gave to the health systems to distribute and they are even starting to come out of my mouth. I think we will run out of vaccine soon and there will be people who will say: Now it’s my turn. Why can’t I head to the table? ” Dobbs said.
Health experts and federal officials have been saying for months that the initial COVID-19 vaccines will be in small quantities.
In the first two weeks after the vaccines were given emergency authorization, it was difficult for states to administer them quickly enough. Now, demand is higher, states have streamlined their administration systems, and supply cannot keep up.
“States have made adjustments. They open [eligibility] several people. But, you know, their allocation doesn’t increase, so that’s why you see states shouting for more doses, “said Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers.
The number of vaccine doses shipped has not changed much since the end of December. In the last days of the Trump administration, however, officials have recommended that states open eligibility for anyone over the age of 65, as well as for people under the age of 65 with a pre-existing condition.
These moves put even more pressure on the already limited supply of states.
States also thought they would receive double the number of new doses this week, after Trump health officials said they would no longer stop booster shots.
But this proved to be the case, as the government no longer had a stock.
Meanwhile, demand has far exceeded supply in some areas. This week, New York City had to reschedule 23,000 meetings after the city’s first supplies ran out.
Primary Bill de Blasio
Bill de BlasioFauci said the second COVID-19 vaccine was removed by the 24-hour Ohio vaccine distributor suspended after improper storage, breaking up 890 doses Overnight care: Biden signs first executive action as president | Amazon offers to help Biden distribute the vaccine Pence delivers the report of the coronavirus working group to Biden MORE (D) sent a letter to the Biden administration on Friday, requesting the flexibility to use the supply of secondary doses to “fill the gap to an increased production time” and to maximize the number of first doses administered.
In San Francisco, city officials were worried about depletion of supplies, but received a last-minute improvement when the state allowed them to resume use of a batch of Moderna vaccines that were taken out of use for possible safety issues.
However, health officials say they need more information from the federal government.
“The unpredictable and erratic flow of vaccines in San Francisco makes it impossible for health care providers in the city or [Department of Public Health] to plan properly, “the city’s COVID Command Center said in a statement to The Hill.
The Biden administration has been praised for being more open about the challenges of fighting coronavirus, but officials have not said how it can increase the supply of vaccines.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki
Jen PsakiBiden under pressure to take more photos COVID-19 Biden and Trudeau agree to meet next month Democrats seek answers on impact of Russian cyber attack on Justice Department, Courts MORE said on Thursday that engagement with states and local officials will be a priority, but offered no examples of guidance in the future.
The Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo
Andrew CuomoThree national guardsmen killed in military helicopter crash in New York New York City reschedule 23,000 vaccination appointments over supply problems Pence sends coronavirus working group report to Biden MORE (D) recently stated that the Association of National Governors will hold weekly meetings with Zients. He’s still working on the schedule.