In a sign that the irregular distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in the state is increasing significantly, nearly 1 million Californians have received an injection in the past two days, the data show.
The last four days were the four highest total vaccines administered in a single day, according to data compiled by The Times.
That record run includes 464,249 doses reported on Tuesday – a historic record – and 400,360 on Wednesday, the second highest daily total.
It took about 2 and a half months – from when the first vaccines arrived in mid-December to the beginning of March – for 10 million doses to be administered across the state. In the two-week period after this milestone, providers gave more than 3 million additional injections.
“The faster we get to immunity, the faster we will put this pandemic in the rear view mirror, so that we can enjoy more of the daily activities without the worries we experienced last year,” Dr. Tomás Aragón, state public health officer and California Director of the Department Public Health, said in a statement Wednesday.
Despite recent progress, however, California remains lagging behind many other states in its vaccination efforts.
To date, about 23% of Californians have received at least one dose of vaccine – a proportion that ranks 33rd among all U.S. states and territories, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In comparison, 30.6% of the population of New Mexico has already had at least one injection, as well as 29.2% of the inhabitants of Alaska and 28.5% of those living in South Dakota.
California did a little better compared to more populous states. On Thursday, 24.1% of residents had been shot in Pennsylvania, 23.6% in New York, 21.7% in Florida and 20.4% in Texas, CDC data show.
Two of the vaccines approved for use in the United States – one from Pfizer-BioNTech and the other from Moderna – require two doses, given weeks apart. The third, from Johnson & Johnson, requires only one.
Vaccination efforts in California and across the country have been hampered by a lack of supply.
Last week, California received 1.7 million doses, according to Governor Gavin Newsom. That distribution grew slightly to 1.75 million this week and was expected to be 1.8 million next week.
Rapid vaccination in a state the size of California, officials say, would require more vaccine and a more stable supply.
To date, nearly 13.4 million injections have been administered across the state – almost 78% of the total supply that has been delivered to local public health departments and medical service providers, according to the California Department of Public Health.
The authorities expressed optimism that the vaccine pipeline will increase significantly in the coming weeks, mainly because Johnson & Johnson vaccine shipments, which were interrupted by production problems, are starting to arrive regularly.
“You heard that from the president himself. You heard from the CEOs responsible for making these vaccines that we will be in a completely different place in about six weeks, as we see a significant increase in the supply of manufactured goods, ”said Newsom during a meeting on Tuesday.
Almost half of all Californians – including adults aged 65 and over, health workers, educators, people who are incarcerated or living in homeless shelters, essential workers such as those in the food industry or emergency services, health workers, public transport and caretakers, and residents of 16 and the elderly who have underlying disabilities or health problems – are currently eligible for the vaccine.
The list is not exhaustive, as the state continues to offer specifications for those who qualify in the various categories.
Last week, President Biden said restrictions on who could make an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine would be lifted across the country by May 1, as the offer must be sufficient to meet demand.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services has since issued a formal order to that effect, according to Andy Slavitt, a senior adviser to the president’s task force COVID-19.
“Even as we take steps to expand eligibility for vaccines before May 1, we continue to emphasize to states the importance of prioritizing vaccination for high-risk populations,” he said during a briefing on Wednesday.
In California, Newsom characterized equity as the “North Star” that should guide the state’s vaccination campaign.
A recent CDC report, however, found that from December 14 to March 1, California ranked among the worst states in terms of delivering vaccines to its most vulnerable communities.
This is a deficiency that state officials readily acknowledged.
“We are still not close to where we need to be,” Newsom said this week.
A few days after the end of the period covered in the CDC report, authorities announced that California would begin dedicating 40% of its vaccine supplies available to residents in its most disadvantaged areas, those within the lower quartile of a socio-economic measurement tool called California Healthy Index of places.
But disparities persist. In the highest quartile of the index – which includes wealthier and healthier communities – about 15.7% of people aged 16 and over received at least one dose of vaccine and 19.3% were fully vaccinated, state data show.
In comparison, 12.1% of residents aged in the lower quartile received at least one dose and only 9.6% were fully vaccinated.
“I think we are making slow progress,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan, during a vaccine advisory committee meeting on Wednesday.
The state is also working to better educate residents about the vaccine through local efforts by local community groups and a television, radio, print and digital campaign focusing on Latin, Black and Asian communities and the Pacific Islands.
“We know that many of our communities are in what we call the ‘wait and see’ category. They are waiting for others to be vaccinated so they can be vaccinated, ”said Dr. Martha Dominguez, of the state’s Department of Public Health, on Wednesday. She added that testimonials are the key to getting more people to roll up their sleeves.