Americans scramble for vaccines
The expanded availability of the two authorized coronavirus vaccines has unleashed a freefor-all among pandemic-weary Americans clamoring for a return to some type of normalcy.
Those searching for a shot face a decentralized system of vaccine distribution operated by cashstrapped public health departments and a disparate network of clinics and medical providers, all crushed by unprecedented demand. Some vaccine appointment websites crashed almost as soon as they launched. Older Americans are enlisting the help of their tech-savvy kids and grandchildren. Tiny intelligence networks are forming to scour for information on how to get a leg up on the vaccine search.
Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, said these struggles are unavoidable as the federal government defers distribution to localities without the resources to create a centralized sign-up for vaccines or to hold mass inoculation drives.
“In any way you slice it, the supply is just so limited right now and the number of seniors is so large that there’s no perfect way to do it,” Hannan said in an interview. “It’s going to take time for everyone to get vaccinated, and it’s impossible to schedule everybody at once.”
At least 11 million people have received a dose of a coronavirus vaccine so far, according to Washington Post data. The Trump administration has urged states to start vaccinating everyone 65 and older as the pace of injections lag far behind targets. But some experts and health authorities warn the attempt to speed up distribution could lead to an even more overburdened public health system.
“Ultimately, what we’re concerned about is there’s just not that strong of a supply of vaccine right now,” said Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. “People have been led to believe there’s vaccine out there, and we’re going to open up the priority scheme. As a result, you now have a lot of people who have been led to believe that the vaccine is available, who are going out and getting in all these lines.”