More than a dozen states to open up vaccines to all adults

More than a dozen states will open up 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 virus cases 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” about a potential fourth wave of infections after cases in the United States increased by 10% last week. She pleaded with Americans not to relax preventive practices such as social distancing and mask wearing.

“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.

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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.

States opening eligibility to anyone aged 16 and over on Monday included Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Ohio, North Dakota and Kansas.

The rapid expansion has fueled fears that the number of vaccine-hungry vaccine applicants far outstrips 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. .

Vaccination rates in Texas have lagged behind much of the United States, and while state officials at least have some of the blame for the delays in reporting the data, they also acknowledged that the appointment slots are not occupied.

Demand “has definitely declined over the past two weeks,” said Imelda Garcia, head of the state’s expert panel on vaccine allocation.

Texas is expected to receive over a million new doses this week. On Monday, the state launched a new online immunization schedule and phone number, taking a bigger role in efforts that had been deployed largely at the local level.

In Kansas, where some local health officials have said they are also struggling to find people to vaccinate, an additional 400,000 people are now eligible for vaccines. Democratic housekeeper Laura Kelly was criticized by Republicans for a slow and disorganized rollout of the vaccine, 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. But 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, Connecticut and 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 able to register starting April 6.

Connecticut officials said “priority access” would be granted to people at high medical risk or with developmental disabilities once everyone aged 16 and older is eligible. This could include some hospitals running dedicated clinics or booking appointment slots for people with these conditions, officials said.

Arizona opened eligibility to all adults last week, but it has since faced an unintended consequence: Interest in volunteering at four state-run vaccination sites plummeted almost immediately. Since February, thousands of volunteer positions have filled in an hour. Today, many remain vacant, said Rhonda Oliver, CEO of HandsOn Greater Phoenix, a non-profit organization managing online volunteer recruitment.

“People saw it as a way to get the vaccine earlier,” Oliver said. “We expected a fall, but we just didn’t expect it to come off a cliff in 24-48 hours like this.”

On Wednesday, the first day of new eligibility, only 70 of the 145 planned volunteers showed up at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, and dozens of people withdrew early or did not show up. Oliver said this placed an unfair burden on volunteers who showed up and couldn’t take breaks.

The shortage of volunteers shouldn’t affect wait times for those with appointments, Oliver said. 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 constrained by a continued lack of supplies.

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 every 16 years and over will be offered the vaccine.

Santa Clara County has been told it will receive 58,000 doses this week, health official Dr Marty Fenstersheib said, but the state will begin allowing around 400,000 more people between the ages of 50 and 64 in the county to register from Thursday, in addition to the current backlog.

“We don’t have the vaccine and we are worried,” Fenstersheib said.

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Among the methods employed by officials to reach underserved communities are vans used as mobile clinics that travel to hard-hit neighborhoods and provide vaccinations on-site.

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 portal. Los Angeles also plans to have 10 mobile vaccination teams.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis said Monday that four mobile bus clinics will distribute vaccines to underserved communities.

While demand has fallen in some communities, it’s stronger than ever in others, and registration issues continue.

Lena Lawson, a 37-year-old tech consultant in Phoenix, has been trying to make an appointment for a vaccine since the new eligibility rules began. Working from home, she was able to periodically refresh dating websites, but was unlucky for three days.

She happened to be up at 2 a.m. on Sunday and finally got a spot in a Walgreens on Tuesday.

“I was quite surprised. Oh, my God, I have a date. I’m fine, ”Lawson said.

The effort was more fluid for Professor Bill Johnson of the University of Utah. 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 we got there two days later,” said Johnson, 59, who had his first chance at the Salt Lake City Convention Center. “It took us 10 minutes to get there by car, and they stung us two minutes after we arrived.”