It’s 2021, and politicians are fighting over the rollout of Operation Warp Speed, the monumental effort to get everyone in America vaccinated against Covid-19. But most Americans just want to know when a shot might be available for them.
Here’s what we know, without any political spin:
The CDC estimated that they would have 20 million doses of the two approved vaccines distributed to state agencies by the end of 2020. Since both vaccines require two shots, that’s an estimate of 10 million people vaccinated.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, though both Pfizer and Moderna combined to distribute an estimated 10-12 million doses, with the 20 million figure estimated to be reached sometime in January 2021.
But not all those doses have gotten into patients yet. In fact, the majority haven’t. An analysis by Bloomberg seems to indicate that the slowdown is happening on the state level, with many states having only administered an estimated 20% of their doses. An overburdened work force in the latest COVID-19 surge, storage difficulties, and administration hold ups have all been blamed for the lower vaccination figures.
Still, it’s estimated that more than 2 million Americans have been vaccinated, and the number is likely much higher because of delays in reporting.
So, what can I do?
It’s extremely important to note that vaccinations are being delivered to each state, and from there it’s up to the state authorities to distribute and administer the vaccine. This means that by far your best source of info on when you can get vaccinated is from your state.
Most, if not all, states have websites full of info, such as California’s covid19.ca.gov and Utah’s coronavirus.utah.gov. Other states are very active on twitter. Some even have detailed timelines online of when they estimate their residents will be vaccinated. Check with your state, and if possible, check with your doctor. If you are in a high risk group your vaccine may already be waiting for you.
You can also find ongoing info on a federal level by visiting cdc.gov, the website for the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Their site in particular has enormous amounts of info about COVID-19, and about the large scale vaccination process, including who is in line generally to get vaccinated first.
Though we have a long way to go, the full vaccination against COVID-19 has begun, and should only pick up steam as providers make more doses and states become more efficient at administering them.
Let’s get healthier (and vaccinated) together,
Your friends at Santo Remedio
