Missing Far, The Target Of US COVID-19 Vaccination Only Less Than 15 Percent

COVID-19 vaccine (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - COVID-19 vaccination in the United States (US) until the end of December 2020 only reached 2.8 million people. That number falls short of the US government's target of vaccinating 20 million people by the end of the year. This means that the vaccination target achieved is only less than 15 percent.

Quoting Reuters, Friday January 1, 2021, vaccination of residents of nursing homes is even slower than other groups. Even though they are most at risk of dying from COVID-19.

Meanwhile, about 170,000 people in long-term care facilities received the vaccine by Dec.30 out of a target of 21 million health workers, according to data released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). So far, around 14 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been distributed to various states.

By early December, officials said they would have 40 million doses of vaccine for 20 million people. On December 4, 2020, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said vaccinating 20 million Americans by the end of the year was realistic, depending on the vaccination campaign.

Since then, officials have said they are committed to providing adequate doses without commenting on actual vaccination targets. This is because they already know the injection is less than the number of doses distributed.

"The availability and rapid distribution of so many doses - with the first 20 million doses allocated for distribution just 18 days after the first vaccine was authorized for emergency use - is testament to the success of Operation Warp Speed," the Department of Health and Human Services spokesman said in a statement. . Allocated but undistributed doses will be delivered in January 2021.

US vaccine stock

The US government has said it has a back-up stock of vaccine as well as a safety stock, which would bring the total number of vaccine doses close to 40 million. US's leading infectious disease specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci, said it was "under consideration" whether the US should release more spare vaccines to vaccinate large sections of the population.

Even as the number of vaccines distributed nears the goal of reaching 20 million people, the actual speed of vaccination is much slower than anticipated, according to CDC data.

“The Federal Government has distributed vaccines to the states. Now it's up to the state to manage. Move quickly! "Said US President Donald Trump via his Twitter account on Wednesday, December 30, 2020.

Local public health officials say that a lack of federal funding for vaccine distribution has prevented them from hiring the needed staff.

"We know that it has to get better and we are working hard to make it better," said Dr. Moncef Slaoui chief advisor to Operation Warp Speed ​​at a press conference.

US vaccinations for the country's 21 million health workers began on December 14. Vaccinations for the country's 3 million nursing home residents, who are also in the first priority group, will soon follow. Some 51 million US frontline workers, such as firefighters, police, and teachers, as well as people over 75 should also receive the vaccine immediately, the CDC advisory panel recommended.