While U.S. states continue to report delays in their efforts to vaccinate residents most vulnerable to coronavirus infection, West Virginia has administered nearly all immunization doses received so far through the federal government’s distribution initiative.
Since initial vaccine shipments began shipping to states last month, West Virginia has administered about 98 percent of its first immunization doses and 80 percent of its second-round vaccines, according to data updated by the Department of Health. West Virginia Health and Human Resources on Sunday. Both COVID-19 vaccines currently approved for emergency use in the United States, developed by Pfizer and Moderna, require two installments to effectively protect against the new respiratory disease.
West Virginia’s overall vaccination rates are the highest in the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which track immunization progress across the country, indicated that West Virginia administered more COVID-19 vaccines per capita than any other US state on Friday morning. The health agency panel said more than 200,000 vaccines had been distributed to the state by federal officials. The West Virginia count itself noted that it received about 50,000 fewer doses.
In accordance with the recommendations established by the CDC’s Immunization Practices Advisory Committee, states are in the process of distributing preliminary doses of vaccines to high-risk healthcare professionals, as well as residents and employees in long-term care facilities. West Virginia was the only state in the U.S. that did not opt for a federal partnership by shifting responsibility for administering the vaccine in long-term care settings to CVS and Walgreens pharmacies.
Through the partnership, launched in the third week of December, pharmacy professionals administer vaccines to residents and employees of the 75,000 units registered in the program. The initiative aimed to relieve pressure on long-term care facilities to administer the vaccine on its own. However, bureaucratic obstacles have led to significant delays and decreased accessibility. About 1.4 million residents and employees of long-term care facilities received doses of the vaccine on Friday morning, according to the CDC.
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Instead, West Virginia mobilized local pharmacies and health departments to accelerate the launch of vaccines across the state. State Governor Jim Justice cited this approach in recent comments about West Virginia’s immunization program and its effectiveness compared to those in other states. The federal government, in general, has received criticism for what many see as a lack of sufficient guidance to assist states’ vaccine administration efforts.
“Really and truly, there are so many people who depend on their local health departments, their local pharmacies,” said Justice during an appearance on CBS News’ Face the Nation Sunday morning. Speaking with moderator Margaret Brennan, the governor explained why West Virginia’s decision to bypass the federal pharmacy initiative – and the bureaucracy that accompanied it – helped to speed up the vaccine’s launch.
“Many governors sat on their hands, trying to create a system or a formula for what they were going to do. We don’t sit on our hands. I mean, we act, ”he continued. “We brought in our local pharmacies, we brought in our local health departments, we brought in our National Guard and we started giving injections into people’s arms.”
Newsweek contacted the Justice Office for further comments, but received no response in time for publication.