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At least 11 states will open vaccine eligibility to all adults this week as part of a major expansion of COVID-19 injections for tens of millions of Americans amid a worrying increase in cases of the virus and concerns about the balance between supply and demand for vaccines.
Meanwhile, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday she had a recurring sense of ‘impending doom’ regarding a potential fourth wave of coronavirus infections after cases in the United States increased by 10 % over the past week. She pleaded with Americans not to relax preventative practices such as social distancing measures and wearing masks.
“Please wait a little longer,” Dr Rochelle Walensky said during a White House briefing. Several northeastern states and Michigan saw the largest increases, with some reporting hundreds or thousands of more new cases per day than two weeks ago.
A new CDC study concluded that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were 90% effective after two doses, a finding that Walensky said should offer hope.
WATCH: CDC Director feels ‘doom is coming’ amid new spike
States opening eligibility to anyone aged 16 and over on Monday included Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Ohio and Kansas.
The rapid expansion has fueled fears that vaccine-hungry vaccine seekers will far outstrip the available vaccine supply, frustrating millions of newly eligible people who have waited since late last year for a chance to receive. an injection. Other officials put their trust in a promised vaccine glut and instead turned their attention to the next challenge: pressuring as many people as possible to get the vaccines so the country could get herd immunity as soon as possible. .
In Kansas, where some local health officials have said they are struggling to find people to vaccinate, another 400,000 people are now eligible for vaccines. Democratic housekeeper Laura Kelly came under fire from Republicans for a slow and disorganized vaccine rollout, and she faced more criticism on Friday when she announced her plan to expand eligibility. A Republican lawmaker has said people with chronic illnesses could be left behind.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said the state will soon have enough vaccines for anyone who wants one, and the challenge now is to make sure people want to get vaccinated.
Some counties in Illinois are allowed to extend eligibility to all that week if they find that doses are not being used. Meanwhile, in Chicago, the vaccine won’t be available to everyone until at least May 1 because the city doesn’t have enough vaccines on hand.
Minnesota opens eligibility on Tuesday, followed by Indiana and South Carolina on Wednesday, Montana on Thursday, and New Hampshire and Colorado on Friday. In New York City, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that residents over 30 will be eligible for vaccinations starting Tuesday and all people over 16 will be eligible from April 6.
Indiana Health Commissioner Dr Kristina Box said last week that the wait for an appointment could be extended from three weeks to six weeks or more to ensure the system does not overbook.
Arizona opened eligibility to everyone 16 and over last week, but has since faced an unintended consequence: Interest in volunteering at four state-run vaccination sites plummeted almost immediately. Rhonda Oliver, CEO of HandsOn Greater Phoenix, a non-profit organization handling online volunteer recruitment, said that since February thousands of volunteer teams have filled up within an hour. Today, many remain vacant.
“People saw it as a way to get vaccinated earlier,” said Oliver. “We expected a fall, but we just didn’t expect it to come off a cliff in 24 to 48 hours like this.”
On Wednesday, the first day of the new eligibility, only 70 of the 145 planned volunteers showed up at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, and dozens of people withdrew early or simply did not show up. Oliver said this placed an unfair burden on volunteers who showed up and couldn’t take breaks.
People receiving the vaccine, however, should not be affected by gout. Oliver said the presence of volunteers would not affect wait times for those with appointments. HandsOn Greater Phoenix hopes to reduce the bleeding by contacting large businesses and community groups looking for service activities. The group also encourages friends or family members who have been vaccinated to volunteer together.
Many other states are still holding back due to a continued lack of supply.
California officials have said the state can now administer 3 million shots per week, and Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has predicted maximum capacity will reach 4 million by the end of April. But supplies have so far limited the effort to 1.8 million shots per week, a figure expected to rise to 2.5 million per week in the first half of April and then to 3 million by the end of April. , when all 16 years and over will be offered the vaccine.
Santa Clara County health official Dr Marty Fenstersheib said his county has been told it will receive 58,000 doses this week, but the state will begin licensing around 400,000 more people between the ages of 50 and 64. in the county to register starting Thursday, in addition to the current backlog.
“We don’t have the vaccine and we are worried,” Fenstersheib said.
Among the methods employed by officials to reach underserved communities are vans that can be used as mobile clinics that go to hard-hit neighborhoods and provide vaccinations on the spot.
READ MORE: Study asks if vaccinated people can still transmit virus, says Fauci
In California, mobile clinics help immunize farm workers who may not have transportation to larger vaccination sites or who cannot navigate the state’s online registration portal. The city of Los Angeles also plans to have 10 mobile vaccination teams.
While demand has fallen in some communities, it’s stronger than ever in others, and registration issues continue.
Dwight and Kate Blint both got their first snaps on Saturday in Hartford, Connecticut, but it took time and work to get it done. For starters, the online registration process was just too confusing, so they decided to call to make appointments. But the two, both 56, with communications jobs in the insurance industry, couldn’t spend hours on the phone. Dwight Blint’s mother, who is retired, agreed to call.
“It took four or five tries, wait on the phone for half an hour to talk to someone and be told we don’t have a date,” he said. “We are talking about hours.”
But the effort has been more fluid for University of Utah professor Bill Johnson. He said he was preparing for a long and confusing experience, but found it remarkably easy instead.
“We had to make an appointment online and arrived two days later,” said Johnson, 59. “It took us 10 minutes to get by car, and they stung us two minutes after we arrived.”
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