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Officials in many states, including Iowa, Illinois, Washington, Michigan and Oregon, said they were recently told they would receive fewer doses than originally planned for the operation Federal Government Warp Speed.
“We have millions of additional doses in our warehouse, but at this time we have not received any shipping instructions for additional doses,” Pfizer said.
A spokesperson for Health and Human Services said reports of reduction in allocations from jurisdictions “are incorrect” and states as a whole will receive their full supplies, although deliveries may be spread over a longer period. .
“As was done with the initial shipments of Pfizer vaccine, jurisdictions will receive the vaccine at different sites over several days. This lightens the burden on the courts and spreads the workload over several days. This same process was used successfully for the initial distribution of Pfizer. vaccine, and we are just applying the lessons learned, ”the spokesperson added.
States concerned
That hasn’t done much to allay the concerns of state officials, who are already struggling with logistical headaches distributing millions of doses. Since the Trump administration has decided not to enforce how states distribute the vaccine, the changes in shipping are forcing states to recalibrate a host of decisions and planning, including who gets the doses first.
“This change is disruptive and obviously frustrating,” Casey Katims, federal liaison for Washington state, said in a statement, noting that the delay “will slow down vaccination in long-term care facilities and our ability to protect the most vulnerable “.
“We need reliable, accurate and predictable information to properly plan and ensure successful vaccine delivery in the field,” Katims added.
In Oregon, health officials have been told that a shipment of Pfizer vaccine scheduled for the week of Dec. 20 has been reduced by nearly 40%, from 40,950 doses to 25,350 doses.
Oregon has been advised by OWS management that in order to ensure consistent allocations in the future, OWS needs to reduce the initial allocations and “redirect those doses to later weeks,” said Jonathan Modie, manager. communications from the Oregon Health Authority to CNN.
“It is certainly disappointing, but we also recognize that the vaccine is extremely rare and that such adjustments need to be made from time to time,” added Modie.
A senior administration official said the federal government releases doses of Pfizer as soon as they become available.
“There is a difference between the doses that are manufactured and the doses that have completed quality control and are deemed releasable,” the official told CNN.
The Iowa Department of Health said in a statement Wednesday that its dose allowance could be reduced by 30%.
“It will take some time for us to take the next steps and adjust our planning,” the ministry said in its statement.
A senior administration official said the 30% cut in Iowa was not a reduction in their total allowance for the week. It is a reflection that not all doses will be delivered early on Monday morning of next week. They will be delivered all next week, this person said.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said on Wednesday he expects the vaccine dose reduction “to likely halve our state’s planned Pfizer shipments this month.”
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services was told last night that it would receive 60,000 doses instead of the 84,000 doses they originally expected, the DHHS spokeswoman told CNN, Lynn Sutfin. She did not elaborate on the reasons given for the downsizing, but said state officials “have always said allowances are subject to change.”
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