The introduction of the US COVID-19 vaccine was slower than expected this month, raising concerns that the federal government was misusing the effort and that people would have to wait months longer than expected to get their chance.
Federal officials have defended the program, insisting that bringing the vaccine to the American people within a year was still a technical achievement and that the program remained on track.
Still, they acknowledged that the effort fell short of expectations, and vaccination experts and public health officials warned that the bigger test will come next year when inventory finally gets bigger and the wider public raised a hand for an opportunity.
“It’s really hard to give every dose if you prioritize it and try to avoid wastage,” said Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers.
“But if we get in a position of mass clinics and everyone has access, we will be much more efficient in getting it out,” she said.
President Donald Trump had initially pledged 300 million doses by January 2021 when he announced Operation Warp Speed, but later this fall he lowered the estimate to 100 million. After Pfizer revised its production forecasts, Health Secretary Alex Azar promised 40 million available doses and 20 million vaccinations by the end of the year.
Instead, the administration was on track to ship those 20 million doses by the first week of January – enough for the first doses in the two-dose vaccine – with only 2.6 million vaccinations registered by the federal government.
Trump blamed the states for not moving fast enough.
“The federal government has distributed the vaccines to the states. Now it’s up to the states to administer them. Get moving!” he tweeted Wednesday.
Hours later, Trump’s chief scientific advisor to the vaccine program, Moncef Slaoui, acknowledged “the number is lower than we hoped.”
“There is a learning curve in the system,” Slaoui told reporters.
Vaccine experts and public health officials said they are not ready to sound the alarm yet, but they cite numerous smaller logistical challenges that have made rollout difficult: a vaccine that has specific treatment requirements, and hospitals that need to stagger injections for frontal treatments. line hospital staff based on the latest dispatch numbers.
Holidays and blizzards have not helped, and a federal partnership with major pharmacies to deliver vaccines to nursing homes has only just begun. Also, states participating in that program had to keep some doses in reserve.
“Receiving, preparing, and administering vaccines takes time,” said Kris Ehresmann, director of the Minnesota Department of Health’s infectious diseases division.
Judy Persichilli, New Jersey health commissioner, suggested that Pfizer’s vaccinations are progressing at a rapid pace – nearly 60% of doses administered so far – but Moderna doses have been delayed a bit as they were delivered “ just before Christmas. ” .
“There were no vaccinations on the 25th, and on the other days people didn’t want to be sick – they were worried that we wouldn’t feel well during the holidays, so it was ticked again,” Persichilli said. .
Likewise, the Pennsylvania Department of Health cited the holidays and a major snowstorm coupled with the challenge of vaccinating a hospital staff already stretched thin. The Colorado Department of Public Health said hospitals were trying to distribute vaccinations to employees in case there are temporary reactions that lead staff to call in sick.
“I really expect that next week, when the holidays are over, those numbers will rise rapidly as jurisdictions make rapid progress to protect their health care workers and also residents of long-term care facilities,” said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Blaire Bryant, associate legislative director for health at the National Association of Counties, agreed that the slower-than-expected rollout is not yet an issue. But counties are concerned if there will be enough money to get it through a nationwide rollout in the spring, she said.
The federal government has sent $ 340 million to the states in recent months, but that money is slowly dripping as low-money states scrutinize competing priorities, leaving what Bryant called a “ barrier ” that can be addressed with instant, flexible cash money. grants.
Bryant said many overwhelmed local communities could also use more help with public posts tailored to their area, as well as more information on what to expect in the coming weeks. The initial allocation was based on the adult population of each state. It’s not known if federal officials could change that formula to account for outbreaks, or if a community could choose the vaccine of their choice.
“It’s a slow rollout now, and we’ll wait and see as we move into that massive vaccination phase … If it doesn’t meet the needs on the ground, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Bryant said.
Hannan, of the Association of Immunization Managers, agreed that expanding the introduction of vaccines to healthcare workers was her number one concern. By the time hospitals and nursing homes are covered and people over 65 and key workers are invited to take a chance, there will be less concern about fair allocation. But the government will need to have registered enough providers to roll out nationwide next spring.
That means enlisting primary care physicians, local pharmacies, and others to jump on board with federal requirements showing they can properly store, handle, and administer the vaccines.
“Whatever needs to be done will happen,” said Hannan. “But there will be hiccups.”
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan told “CBS This Morning” that the program is generally behind schedule, in part because the federal government over-promised on supplies earlier this fall and production levels changed. But the logistical challenges are also considerable.
“It’s not just about sticking needles in the arms; there are a lot of moving parts. I don’t think anyone is really performing at peak power and we all have to work together to ramp it up,” he said.
Sophie Tatum of ABC News contributed to this report.