Yet, despite reports of technological hurdles, changes to the allotted supply and other logistical barriers, some states have risen as clear leaders in effective vaccination efforts against Covid-19.
More than 31 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been distributed to states and other jurisdictions in the United States, but only 12.2 million – 39% – are according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, nine states have managed to administer more than half of the doses they have received: North Dakota, West Virginia, South Dakota, Connecticut, Texas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Colorado and Montana, as well as Washington, DC.
North Dakota and West Virginia are the country’s leaders, administering more than 65% of the distributed doses.
By comparison, Alabama and Georgia administered only 23% of their doses, and five other states administered 30% or less.
Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, told CNN about the effective vaccination against Covid-19.
In the states moving faster, strategic planning and communication, the dependence on strong local partnerships and states that own the process have played a role.
In South Dakota, talks on vaccine planning began as early as August and continued daily, Daniel Bucheli, director of communications for the state health department, told CNN.
“Preparation, not panic, was the key,” he said. “There is daily communication, with the opportunity for partners to give feedback on what works and what does not. Open lines of communication continue.”
Efforts to build a uniform system also began in the summer in Colorado, bringing together hospital systems, emergency management, technology leaders and more for a “whole state approach,” said Scott Bookman, Covid-19 incident commander for the health department of the state, told CNN. .
According to Bookman, all vaccine providers in the state must administer doses they have received within 72 hours. If they do not, the state will step in and move the unused doses to another location.
“You will hear 72 hours in Colorado all the time,” he said. “We’ve moved the vaccine from one place to another. And we’re at a point where suppliers understand our expectations and how seriously we take it.”
He said he had to set expectations early and often among all involved.
“We made it a top priority. We set expectations that we would do it, that we would save lives and make Colorado normal again.”
In Colorado, nearly all long-term care facilities – including nursing homes and assisted living facilities – opted for a federal program that partnered with CVS and Walgreens to administer the vaccine doses to the top priority group.
But nationwide, the federal program has had mixed feedback, with directors of nursing homes and other health care providers blaming the poor logistics and bureaucracy for the slow rollout.
While Bookman says the program did not move as fast as expected or expected in long-term care facilities in Colorado, Walgreens and CVS were a good partner and entered the state where needed to provide additional support staff and technology support.
West Virginia, meanwhile, has taken full ownership of the vaccine administration. Hannan of the Association of Immunization Managers attributes some of West Virginia’s success to his decision to enroll in the federal long-term care program.
“The biggest thing we have done is keep away from the (federally) standardized program,” West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice told CNN.
More than 40% of pharmacies in West Virginia are not affiliated with the chain, and the state wants to prioritize existing relationships, the governor said at a news conference on Dec. 16.
“Rather, we worked with all the pharmacies in West Virginia. We felt that from a state perspective, it would limit our ability to distribute the vaccine quickly and administer it to the population in need if we went with the federal program. , “he said.
By acting independently, West Virginia vaccinated in long-term care facilities about a week before other states began.
The state also broke off federal guidance on groups set to receive the vaccine first, with the emphasis on speed above the details.
“There’s a real sleeping giant that’s a problem, and that’s one thing only: we, as other states, are going to inventory an inventory because everyone is trying to devise a program on how to administer vaccines,” he said. Justice told CNN. .
On Tuesday, federal leaders called on states to move people 65 and older and people at high-risk health conditions to the forefront of the queue. However, about a week earlier, West Virginia announced a program to vaccinate older residents – Operation SOW: Save Our Wisdom.
Strikingly, many of the countries that handle the most efficient distribution of vaccines are among the most rural states in the country.
Some say fewer health systems responsible for larger sections of the population may play a role in success.
Hannan notes that the state in North Dakota is working closely with suppliers to redistribute the required inventory and redistribute it if necessary. The same is true in South Dakota, where some large health care systems make up a large portion of the population.
“They have strong relationships with suppliers that cannot be repeated in larger states,” she said.
In anticipation of the emergency use authorization for the Covid-19 vaccination, Monument Health in South Dakota has begun building databases of individuals under their care who would be able to receive the vaccine and issue it proactively, Dr. . Shankar Kurra, Vice President of Medical Affairs. , told CNN.
As one of three major health care providers in the state, Monument Health accounts for nearly half of the state’s population, and their spreadsheets and outreach reflects this.
“There are several reasons for success,” Kurra said. “The department of health and how well they communicated when vaccine will be available, three health systems in the state make it logistically much simpler, and the third factor is important: even with only three systems, we took it upon ourselves to make it a mission to deliver doses within a week of receiving them. ‘
CNN’s Nadia Kounang contributed to this report.