“This is a new vaccine with new processes that have to be put in place, and that adds some time,” Ehresmann said Wednesday.
At least three shipments of Moderna Inc.’s vaccine were held back in Texas last week because they displayed signs of falling out of the required temperature range.
The federal officials said they will assess what’s working and what needs to be adjusted. “Here’s what I have confidence in: Every day, everybody gets better and I believe that uptake will increase significantly as we go forward,” Perna said.
State Struggles
President-elect Joe Biden has said the administration is failing to protect Americans and has promised 100 million inoculations in his first 100 days if Congress provides funding. But President Donald Trump made clear in a Wednesday morning tweet he believe local officials are in charge, telling states: “Get moving!”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo during a news conference Wednesday said the massive undertaking has been “grossly underestimated.”
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine chastised providers for moving slowly. Only 17% of the doses distributed have been administered in the state, which is home to some of the largest health-care systems in the country, such as the Cleveland Clinic.
Logistical issues are slowing vaccinations in hospitals, DeWine said. In long-term care facilities, few workers want the shots. About 60% of those who have been offered a vaccine have refused it, DeWine said.
Ground-level logistics can be opaque across the U.S. Many residents are uncertain whether they will get a shot from their doctor, at a government clinic or at a pharmacy. It’s unclear how government officials will verify eligibility. Some states and cities have launched websites where residents can sign up to be vaccinated.
Sorry, No
Health-care workers are the only people who can register in the District of Columbia. New Mexico created an online portal that allows people to register for vaccination after entering basic information. The state promises to contact registrants when the shot is available.
Essex County, New Jersey, has a system that in two clicks turns away people who aren’t in health care or otherwise qualified: “Based on your response you are currently not eligible for vaccination at this time. Please be sure to check back as CDC releases new phases and guidelines.”
Some states are already starting to offer the vaccine more widely than the federal government recommends. In Colorado, the vaccine will be available to everyone 70 and up, Governor Jared Polis said Wednesday. Some areas may focus on health-care workers while others may start providing it to senior citizens.
Texas this week opened up vaccination to seniors 65 and older and people over 16 with an increased risk for severe illness. Governor Greg Abbott in a tweet Tuesday urged vaccine providers to quickly use shots, because a “significant portion” may be going unused.
Wachter, the California medical professor, said states are making it up as they go.
“These are big, complex undertakings to get materials out to millions of people, thousands of places, and they really do require federal coordination, federal programs and federal dollars behind them,” he said. “If you don’t you have everybody doing improv and it just doesn’t work very well.”
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.