In a sign that the state’s unequal explosion of COVID-19 vaccine is significantly increasing, nearly 1 million Californians have been given a chance in the past two days.
According to the data compiled by The Times, the four highest days so far have been administered to single additions to one day.
The record-breaking record contains 464,249 doses reported on Tuesday – an all-time high – and 400,360 on Wednesday, the second-largest daily total.
It took about 2 months – from the first vaccines in mid-December to early March – before 10 million doses were administered across the country. In the two-week period that followed the milestone, suppliers gave more than 3 million extra shots.
“The faster our immunity becomes, the faster we will put this pandemic in the rearview mirror so that we can enjoy more everyday activities without the worries we have experienced over the past year,” said Dr. Tomás Aragón, Government Officer for Public Health and California. Director of the Department of Public Health, said in a statement on Wednesday.
Despite recent progress, however, California still lags behind many other states in its vaccination efforts.
To date, about 23% of Californians have received at least one vaccine dose – a share that ranks 33rd out of all states and U.S. territories, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
By comparison, 30.6% of New Mexico’s population received at least one shot, as did 29.2% of Alaska’s and 28.5% of South Dakota’s residents.
California fared somewhat better compared to more populous states. As of Thursday, 24.1% of residents received one shot in Pennsylvania, 23.6% in New York, 21.7% in Florida and 20.4% in Texas, CDC data show.
Two of the vaccines approved for use in the United States – one from Pfizer-BioNTech and the other from Moderna – require two doses, which are administered weeks apart. The third, from Johnson & Johnson, only needs one.
Vaccination efforts in California and across the country are hampered by supply shortages.
Last week, California received 1.7 million doses, according to Gavin Newsom. That award has grown slightly to 1.75 million this week and is expected to reach 1.8 million next week.
Officials say a state that is vaccinated as fast as in California will need more vaccination and a steady supply.
To date, nearly 13.4 million shots have been fired nationwide – nearly 78% of the total supply delivered to local public health departments and medical providers, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Officials have expressed optimism that the vaccine pipeline will swell significantly in the coming weeks, especially as the transport of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which has been disrupted by production issues, is starting to arrive regularly.
“You heard it from the president himself. You have heard from the CEOs responsible for the manufacture of these vaccines that we will be in a completely different place in six or so weeks, as we are seeing a significant increase in the supply offered, ‘Newsom said on Tuesday during a briefing said.
Nearly half of all California residents – including adults age 65 and older, health care workers, educators, people locked up or living in homeless shelters, essential workers such as those in the food or emergency services, public transportation and caregivers, and residents 16 and Elderly persons with disabilities or underlying health conditions – are currently eligible for the vaccine.
The list is not exhaustive, as the state still offers specifications for those who qualify under the various categories.
Last week, President Biden said the restrictions on who could make a COVID-19 vaccine appointment would be lifted nationwide by May 1, as supply was expected to be sufficient to meet demand.
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, Andy Slavitt, a senior adviser to the COVID-19 task force, issued a formal order to that effect.
“While we are taking steps to extend vaccine admissions before May 1, we continue to emphasize the importance of prioritizing vaccinations for higher-risk populations,” he said during a briefing on Wednesday.
In California, Newsom characterized stocks as the ‘North Star’ to lead the state’s vaccination campaign.
However, a recent CDC report found that California was among the worst states from December 14 to March 1 in terms of vaccine distribution to its most vulnerable communities.
This is a shortcoming of civil servants.
“We are still not close to where we need to be,” Newsom said this week.
Only a few days after the end of the period covered by the CDC report, officials announced that California will dedicate 40% of the available vaccine supply to residents in the most disadvantaged areas, those within the lowest quartile of a socio-economic measuring instrument called the California Healthy. Location index.
But inequalities persist. In the top quartile of the index – which includes affluent, healthier communities – about 15.7% of people aged 16 and older received at least one vaccine dose, and 19.3% were fully vaccinated, the state’s data shows.
By comparison, 12.1% of residents aging in the lowest quartile received at least one dose, and only 9.6% were fully vaccinated.
“I do think we are progressing slowly,” said Dr. Erica Pan, state epidemiologist, said during a meeting of the vaccine advisory committee on Wednesday.
The state is also working to better inform residents about the vaccine through local community groups’ efforts on the ground and a television, radio, print and digital campaign focusing on the Latino, Black and Asian and Pacific Oceans. islands.
‘We know that many of our communities call the category’ wait-and-see ‘. “They are waiting for others to be vaccinated so that they can be vaccinated,” said Dr. Martha Dominguez, with the state Department of Public Health, said Wednesday. She added that testimonials are the key to getting more people rolling up.