In the first major hiccup of the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine, states this week found themselves scrambling to adjust as they received word they would get between 20% and 40% less vaccine next week than they had been told as late as Dec. 9.
States were given estimates that turned out to be based on vaccine doses produced, not those that had completed quality control and were releasable.
Only on Wednesday and later were states informed of the actual numbers. The ripple effect is huge, said Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers. The planning piece is critical. We cannot roll this vaccine out on the fly.
Pfizer is not having any production issues with our COVID-19 vaccine, CEO Albert Bourla says. But Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar says the company has had problems. Many states say their allocations for next week have been cut without an explanation. Credit: AFP via Getty Images
Pfizer Says Millions Of Vaccine Doses Are Ready, But States Say Shipments Were Cut By
at 10:55 am NPR
Pfizer is pushing back on the Trump administration s suggestion that the company is having trouble producing its COVID-19 vaccine, saying it s ready to ship millions more doses â once the government asks for them. As the company spoke out, several states said their vaccine allocations for next week have been sharply reduced.
Pfizer is not having any production issues with our COVID-19 vaccine, CEO Albert Bourla says. But Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar says the company has had problems. Many states say their allocations for next week have been cut without an explanation. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
Originally published on December 18, 2020 3:53 pm
Pfizer is pushing back on the Trump administration s suggestion that the company is having trouble producing its COVID-19 vaccine, saying it s ready to ship millions more doses – once the government asks for them. As the company spoke out, several states said their vaccine allocations for next week have been sharply reduced.