There has been extensive work done in order to quickly produce a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19. Currently, there are two vaccines that have been proven to provide adequate protection against the virus. Much of the public is not yet eligible to be vaccinated. How is your state doing in the fight for COVID-19 vaccination?
Your State’s Role in the Distribution of the COVID-19 Vaccine
Doses of the COVID-19 vaccine began distribution on December 14, 2020 and have reached every state in the US. 13% of the US population have already received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is equal to over 65 million doses administered. In order to be effective, two doses of the vaccine must be administered over a three to four week period.
The federal government is responsible for shipments of these doses to individual states. Each state is then in charge of distributing these doses accordingly. Every state has a vaccine distribution plan in place that consists of a number of phases. These phases depend on the who needs virus protection most.
Typically, COVID-19 vaccine distribution has started with administering doses to the elderly in nursing homes and to those who work in the healthcare field. These stipulations then broaden to the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions.
Your State and COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
President Joe Biden promised a goal of 100 million doses of vaccines reaching the public in his first 100 days in office. Some states are distributing their vaccines at a faster pace than others. In order for this to come to pass, more vaccines will be required from manufacturers and more efficiency will be needed from the states.
79% of all the doses that have been administered to each state have already been utilized, the remainder have been saved for nursing homes and other highly vulnerable groups. 21% of Alaskans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, making this the state with the highest population vaccinated.
Most states have utilized the vaccines that have been made available, however, some are lacking in their distribution. Montana and Maryland have both currently administered less than 70% of the doses that they have received.
Delays in COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
There has been complaints from state and local health agencies in regard to government communication of the COVID-19 vaccine shipments. Many states claim that they are not receiving the number of vaccines they have been promised.
It is also cited that there is little warning, only days, before shipment arrivals. This leaves state departments short on time to designate, schedule and administer doses appropriately.
Contact Your State Health Department
Visit your state’s health department website for more information for when you and your family will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. You can also visit the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website for up-to-date information and statistics about how quickly your state is distributing vaccines.
