Officials in numerous states, including Iowa, Illinois, Washington, Michigan and Oregon, have said they were recently told they would be receiving fewer doses than originally planned by the federal government’s Operation Warp Speed.
“We still have millions of doses in our warehouse, but so far we have not received shipping instructions for additional doses,” said Pfizer.
A Health and Human Services spokesperson said reports of the reduction in jurisdictions allocations are “inaccurate,” and states will generally receive their full supplies, although deliveries may be spread over longer periods.
“As with the initial shipments of the Pfizer vaccine, jurisdictions will receive the vaccine at different locations for several days. This eases the burden on the jurisdictions and spreads the workload over several days. This same process was successfully used for the initial distribution. of the Pfizer vaccine, vaccine, and we just apply the lessons learned, ”the spokesman added.
States concerned
That has not contributed much to the concern of state officials, who are already dealing with logistical headaches in dispensing millions of doses. Since the Trump administration decided not to mandate the way states distribute the vaccine, changes in shipments are forcing states to recalibrate many decisions and planning, including who gets the doses first.
“This change is disruptive and clearly frustrating,” Casey Katims, federal liaison officer for Washington State, said in a statement, noting that the delay “will delay vaccination in long-term care facilities and our ability to help those most vulnerable. to protect”.
“We need reliable, accurate and predictable information to properly plan and ensure vaccination administration,” added Katims.
In Oregon, health officials have been told a shipment of the Pfizer vaccine scheduled for the week of December 20 has been reduced by nearly 40% from 40,950 doses to 25,350.
Oregon was told by the OWS leadership that OWS should reduce initial allocations and “refer those doses to later weeks,” Jonathan Modie, Oregon Health Authority Lead Communications Officer, told CNN to ensure regular allocations would move forward .
“It is certainly disappointing, but we also recognize that the vaccine is very scarce and that such adjustments need to be made from time to time,” added Modie.
A senior official said the federal government will release Pfizer doses as soon as they become available.
“There is a difference between doses that are produced and doses that have passed quality control and are considered freely available,” the official told CNN.
The Iowa Department of Health said in a statement Wednesday that dose allocation could be reduced by as much as 30%.
“It will take some time to go through the next steps and adjust our schedule,” the department said in its statement.
A senior official said the 30% cut in Iowa is not a cut in their overall allocation for the week. It is a reflection that not all doses are delivered first Monday morning next week. They will be delivered next week, this person said.
On Wednesday, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said he expects the cut in vaccine doses to “likely cut Pfizer’s planned shipments by about half this month.”
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services was notified late yesterday that they would be receiving 60,000 doses instead of the 84,000 doses they originally expected, DHHS spokeswoman Lynn Sutfin told CNN. She did not elaborate on any of the reasons for the downsizing, but said state officials “always said allocations were subject to change.”