(Christophe Archambault / Pool Photo via AP)
PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Health Services changed its coronavirus vaccination totals on Thursday, saying the changes came from time to validate the data the department received.
“The new validated number becomes the basis for continuous reports in real time,” said ADHS director Dr. Cara Christ in a blog post. “In the meantime, finding duplicates in data solves problems and improves the real-time data that we report daily.”
Christ noted that, unlike coronavirus cases and deaths, the two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine require “additional steps for data matching and deduplication.”
“Similar to the first time we completed our death data matching, the first combination, matching and clearing of data generally results in a significant change in the number of records identified and removed (or added),” said Christ.
On Wednesday, the department said more than 119,000 coronavirus vaccines were distributed in the state; however, they backtracked on Thursday, saying that some 113,000 vaccines were administered as a result of data cleansing.
The state in general has been slow to increase the distribution of the coronavirus vaccine since the first shipments were received in mid-December.
Arizona counties are making a slow transition from phase 1A to 1B of vaccine distribution. Phase 1A prioritized health professionals and those who work and live in long-term institutions.
The counties of Apache, Pinal and Gila started vaccinating those in 1B, which includes teachers, adults aged 75 and over, essential workers and adults with high-risk conditions in congregated environments.
Maricopa County said on Wednesday it would enter Phase 1B next week.
The arrival of the vaccine and the acceleration of the distribution process occur at a time when the state continues to reach new levels of the pandemic.
On Thursday, state health officials reported 9,913 new cases of coronavirus and a record 297 additional deaths, bringing the state’s documented totals to 584,593 COVID-19 infections and 9,741 deaths.