Top hospital official says delivery pace far too slow

Yale doctor says ‘10-fold’ increase needed to reach mass vaccination by summer

A top official at Connecticut’s largest health care system says a substantial increase in vaccine doses from the federal government is urgently needed if the state hopes to achieve mass vaccination this summer.

“We have the staff, we have the technology, we have the nurses, we have the pharmacists. What we need is vaccine,” said Dr. Thomas Balcezak, chief clinical officer for Yale New Haven Health. “As we scale up, we are going to need 10-fold the number of doses that we are currently receiving.”

Connecticut has thus far received about 46,000 vaccine doses a week, plus a recent one-time 50,000-dose bonus as a reward for quick distribution. If the current rate of supply continues, it will take months for the state to vaccinate the estimated 1.4

pledged to have most Connecticut residents vaccinated by this fall, a million people in Phase 1B timeline that wouldrequire of its distribution plan and greater vaccine supply than much longer before the the state has received so far. full population has been Lamont has al s o offered a vaccine. expressed hope that Pres

“Our challenge is, we ident Joe Biden will speed need more allocation from vaccine production, possithe federal government,” bly through the Defense Balcezak said. “The state Production Act. Biden has of Connecticut is simply committed to administerreceiving many, many ing 100 million vaccine fewer doses than we need.” doses in the first 100 days

Added Yale New Haven of his presidency, a goal Health CEO Marna Borgexperts say is ambitious but strom: “It’s a Herculean achievable. task when the supply chain Balcezak’s plea for more for the vaccine isn’t clear.” vaccine doses came as

Gov. Ned Lamont and Yale New Haven Health other state officials have announced a slew of new similarly clamored for vaccine sites across the more doses and expressed southern part of the state, hopesupplywouldincrease including at Floyd Little soon. On Tuesday, Lamont Field House in NewHaven, pointed to ongoing trials for the Brunswick School in newvaccines fromJohnson Greenwich and Mitchell & Johnson and AstraZenCollege in New London. eca that have not yet gained He said the health system approval from the Foodand will be ready to scale up Drug Administration. its vaccine distribution as

“I think you’re going soon as more doses arrive. to hear something from Officials at other hospi[Johnson & Johnson] relatals have expressed similar tively soon, let’s say in the optimism about their ability next two-to-three weeks to administer more doses ... which would accelerate assuming adequate supply. some of the timetables we “Our rate-limiting step have now,” Lamont said. will be, at least for the “AstraZeneca, the rest of short term, the number of the world seemstobealittle vaccines we get,” Dr. James more proactive on than the Cardon, chief integration United States. ... I also think officer at Hartford HealthModerna and Pfizer are Care, said earlier this going to be able to ramp month. “We will continue up their manufacturing. to scale up.”

Whether that takes three months or three weeks, we’ll find out.”

State officials have