The US supply of COVID-19 vaccines is quickly starting to outpace demand as agreements across the country are not honored and states say there are almost no more people willing to take the photos.
By Friday, 49 percent of American adults had received at least one dose of vaccine, and several polls show that only about 60 percent want to get a vaccine right away.
Health officials have suggested that the country must reach 70 to 90 percent vaccination rates to achieve immunity to the coronavirus herd, the point where a virus is no longer circulating freely because it cannot find susceptible hosts.
This week’s decision to suspend administration of the Johnson & Johnson injection due to rare blood clots may only deepen suspicions about vaccines – but public health experts say the pause is evidence that safety concerns are being tightly controlled.
Javier Morena will receive his first dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine on Staten Island on Friday. The hesitancy to vaccinate is an increasing concern with the rollout
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf made a desperate plea for residents’ vaccination on Friday as clinics across the state reported hundreds, if not thousands, of available appointments that weren’t fulfilled every day.
“The availability of the appointment worries us because it points to hesitation, which is really the challenge to come,” said Alison Beam, the state’s acting health secretary, who joined Wolf at a news conference.
She said the fact that nearly half of nursing home workers in Pennsylvania have refused the vaccine is further evidence of “ how far we have to go and how much of a challenge it will be to overcome this hesitation about vaccines in the near future. ”
A recent study by the KFF found that only 61 percent of adults say they got the vaccine or want it as soon as possible.
Another 17 percent want to ‘wait and see’, while 13 percent say they are ‘definitely not’ vaccinated. Seven percent said they would only get the injection when needed.
The poll, like others, shows a strange political divide over vaccines, with 29 percent of Republicans saying they would “definitely not” get vaccinated, compared to just 5 percent of Democrats.
Less than half of Republicans (46 percent) say they want a vaccine ASAP, compared to 79 percent of Democrats who do.
This is despite the fact that the vaccine rollout is partly overseen by both Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, who both received the shots themselves.
A CDC map shows the percentage of the population who are “very hesitant” about the vaccines
There is also a racial divide over vaccines, although it is less pronounced than the political divide.
Black people, at 24 percent, are the racial group most likely to say they want to “ wait and see. ” Only 16 percent of whites want to wait, and 18 percent of Hispanics.
Louisiana has gotten creative in its vaccination push, with brass bands playing during a 24-hour drive-thru vaccination against the coronavirus and doses being delivered to commercial fishermen minutes from port.
State surveys indicate that 40 percent or more of Louisiana residents are reluctant to get the vaccine or are completely unwilling to do so.
And although Louisiana administers doses at rates higher than some other Southern states, it remains one of the bottom six when vaccinating adults 18 and older, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Other states are also trying new approaches, either because they have seen noticeable declines in interest in vaccines or because they are concerned about fair access.
Even with the backlash, the United States has shown remarkable progress: As of Friday, more than 200 million doses have been administered to Americans, and nearly half of American adults have received at least one dose.
Alaska’s health department is in the process of setting up vaccine clinics at airports.
The Ohio Health Agency asked vaccine providers to develop locations near bus stops and consider offering mobile immunization services.
In Connecticut, the health department has made an effort to call residents directly to schedule appointments.
Mississippi is partnering with local organizations to bring vaccinations directly to home-bound seniors.
The Alabama Health Agency examined vaccine reluctance to determine how to craft messages to appeal to the reluctant.
Mike Bayham, secretary of the Louisiana Republican Party, had a tough battle with COVID-19 in March 2020. He was bedridden for a week and had symptoms for weeks longer.
He has now received his first shot – and he is encouraging fellow Republicans to do the same. Bayham tells friends and colleagues that the vaccine is one of the greatest achievements of Donald Trump’s presidency, and he shares details of what it feels like to have COVID-19.
‘You don’t want this virus. Whatever the vaccine can do to you, the virus is much worse, ”Bayham said.