December 31 (Reuters) – Only about 2.6 million Americans had received the COVID-19 vaccine by the last day of December, which put the United States far behind the government’s goal of vaccinating 20 millions of people this month.
About 14 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been distributed to states so far, federal officials told reporters on Wednesday, shy of their goal of sending 20 million doses this month.
In early December, officials said they would have 40 million doses available this month, enough to vaccinate 20 million Americans on a two-dose regimen. On Dec. 4, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn told Reuters that vaccinating 20 million Americans by the end of the year was realistic, based on the vaccination campaign.
Since then, officials have said they are committed to having enough doses without commenting on the targets of the actual vaccines, as it has become clear that inoculations are lower than the number of doses distributed.
“The rapid availability and distribution of so many doses (with 20 million first doses allocated for distribution just 18 days after the first vaccination was granted in the first vaccine) is a testament to the success of the Operation Warp Speed, ”a health department said and the Human Services spokesman said in a statement. Assigned but undistributed doses will be shipped in January.
The government has said that for every dose sent, it maintains a second dose in reserve, as well as a safety stock, which would bring the total number of vaccine doses to 40 million.
Although the number of doses distributed was close to the target of 20 million people, the rate of actual vaccinations has been much slower than expected, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. .
“The federal government has distributed the vaccines to the states. It is now up to the states to administer. Move on! U.S. President Donald Trump has tweeted.
Local public health officials told Reuters that the lack of federal funding for vaccine distribution has prevented them from hiring the necessary staff.
“We know it should be better and we’re working hard to make it better,” said Operation Warp Speed’s chief adviser, Dr. Moncef Slaoui, in an information session in the media.
U.S. vaccinations of the country’s 21 million health workers began on December 14th. The inoculations of 3 million residents of nursing homes in the country, who are also part of the first priority group, followed shortly afterwards.
A CDC advisory group has recommended that some 51 million key U.S. frontline workers, including firefighters, police and teachers, as well as people over the age of 75, should be the next to receive a vaccine. (Report by Rebecca Spalding; Edited by David Gregorio)