The slow effort to vaccinate the US population against COVID-19 is finally picking up speed, raising hope that an increasing number of Americans will soon be vaccinated.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Wednesday that more than 951,000 doses of the vaccine were administered to people across the country. This is by far the fastest daily vaccination rate since launch began a month ago, and a big jump from the day before, when just under 340,000 doses were administered.
The first COVID-19 The vaccine, produced by pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech, went on sale in the United States on December 13.
On Tuesday, the federal government gave the green light to the states to vaccinate anyone over 65, a measure that aims to increase the number of Americans who could seek protection from the coronavirus. The United States previously said that states should reserve their doses for healthcare professionals and nursing home residents. The government also said it will release all doses of the vaccine it has available for distribution.
The change in strategy follows growing concerns that the government’s vaccination effort, a key element of the Trump administration Operation Warp Speed Initiative, did not live up to its name. Several states recently opened mass vaccination sites and began to deviate from the federal plan. To that end, New York City officials said on Friday that they would start vaccinating teachers and residents over 75 later this week.
The switch to accelerated vaccinations also occurs as COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to increase. On Tuesday alone, there were more than 235,000 new coronavirus infections in the U.S. and 4,470 deaths attributed to the virus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
“I’m really surprised that apparently it was quicker to plan, develop and mass produce a vaccine than to develop and implement a plan to implement it,” said Andrew Read, professor of biology and entomology at Penn State University.
Even with the recent increase in vaccinations, more than two-thirds of the doses sent to the states have yet to be administered. As of Tuesday, nearly 30 million doses have been shipped to all 50 states, as well as to the territories of the United States. Of these, according to CDC data, only 10.3 million – about 30% – went into people’s arms.