Some states decided to roll out the COVID-19 vaccine faster than others — but that might not have been a good thing.
What happened?
The Associated Press reports that “faster is not necessarily better” when it comes to rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine.
A new analysis found states that moved quickly — like Florida, which moved quickly to offer the vaccine to larger groups outside of high risk and the elderly — ended up vaccinating smaller shares of their populations compared to the states that moved slowly.
- The Associated Press explained: “The explanation, as experts see it, is that the rapid expansion of eligibility caused a surge in demand too big for some states to handle and led to serious disarray. Vaccine supplies proved insufficient or unpredictable, websites crashed and phone lines became jammed, spreading confusion, frustration and resignation among many people.”
Dr. Rebecca Wurtz, a health data specialist at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health, told The Associated Press that demand became too high for states to efficiently handle distribution.
- “The infrastructure just wasn’t ready. It kind of backfired,” she said.
- She added: “In the rush to satisfy everyone, governors satisfied few and frustrated many.”
What will happen in Utah?
The Deseret News reported Sunday that Utah is looking to administer the COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible. Right now, about 52.6% of adults in Utah are eligible for the vaccine.
- But the numbers will grow this week as the state opens eligibility up to those age 16 and older. This may slow the pace of the vaccine, the Deseret News reported.
Bigger picture
Overall, 124 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been given in the United States, according to Bloomberg. In the last week, the U.S. had administered 2.49 million doses per day.