A senior California health official said on Wednesday that it could take four to five months just to complete the COVID-19 vaccination for those 65 and older, although there is hope that this schedule will improve under the Biden administration.
Dr. Erica Pan said the projection is based on the state’s population of about 6.2 million people aged 65 and over. The goal is to vaccinate 70% of these people, or 4.34 million elderly people, with two doses.
With current federal government funding, the state is receiving about 400,000 doses a week, or 500,000 in a good week. At this rate, it may take until June to inject shots into the arms of the elderly.
“We do not know when this supply will be increasing, but it is more or less what we have received,” said Pan during a meeting of the state vaccine advisory committee. “I know that we are estimating something around 20 to 22 weeks for us to really be 65 years old or more … What we all need to collect is as much vaccine in arms as possible.”
Pan said vaccinating the elderly is crucial, as they are disproportionately affected by the virus; ages 61 and over are responsible for 65% of all intensive care unit admissions and 83% of all deaths.
As California struggles to meet the challenge of vaccinating everyone who awaits them, officials pin their hopes on President Joe Biden’s promise to increase resources for vaccination. There is hope that the state’s vaccination rate will increase.
“Under the Biden government, our country has a chance to fight this virus,” said California state senator Scott Wiener on Wednesday.
Dr. George Rutherford, professor of epidemiology and head of UCSF’s infectious disease and global epidemiology division, is hopeful that the vaccine launch will improve in the coming weeks under a new administration. “I suspect things are really going to accelerate here soon,” said Rutherford.
A recent hurdle at launch was the suspension of injections of a batch of Moderna vaccine after some people fell ill.
California said on Wednesday that it is safe to resume using the vaccine, releasing more than 300,000 doses to counties, cities and hospitals struggling to get supplies.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.