Supply Chain

More than 50 million Americans have received at least one dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. So far, Americans have been largely brand-agnostic, but that’s about to change as a new vaccine rolls out. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been hailed as a game changer. It requires only a single dose rather than two doses spaced weeks apart, and it does not need freezer storage, making it a natural fit for hard-to-reach rural areas and underserved communities with limited access to health care and storage facilities. But while many people are excited about the prospects of only one shot, the new vaccine is also getting backlash. Part of that is coming from lack of clarity about the vaccines’ efficacy numbers, and part of it is more nuanced. 

More than 50 million Americans have received at least one dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. So far, Americans have been largely brand-agnostic, but that’s about to change as a new vaccine rolls out. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been hailed as a game changer. It requires only a single dose rather than two doses spaced weeks apart, and it does not need freezer storage, making it a natural fit for hard-to-reach rural areas and underserved communities with limited access to health care and storage facilities. But while many people are excited about the prospects of only one shot, the new vaccine is also getting backlash. Part of that is coming from lack of clarity about the vaccines’ efficacy numbers, and part of it is more nuanced.

More than 50 million Americans have received at least one dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. So far, Americans have been largely brand-agnostic, but that’s about to change as a new vaccine rolls out. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been hailed as a game changer. It requires only a single dose rather than two doses spaced weeks apart, and it does not need freezer storage, making it a natural fit for hard-to-reach rural areas and underserved communities with limited access to health care and storage facilities. But while many people are excited about the prospects of only one shot, the new vaccine is also getting backlash. Part of that is coming from lack of clarity about the vaccines’ efficacy numbers, and part of it is more nuanced.

Las week on Sunday, some health workers experienced challenges with the vaccine registration system. They then decided to go directly, without registering, to the Steve Biko Academic Hospital to get their jab, which reportedly led to chaos that involved long queues and resulted in some who had successfully registered on the system being unable to get their jab and being turned away. South Africa is not alone in experiencing teething problems with vaccination systems. In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlined the need for a system that could handle a mass vaccination campaign once shots were approved. It wanted to streamline sign-ups, scheduling, inventory tracking, and immunization reporting.

Millions of Americans are not getting their second dose of the coronavirus vaccine within the recommended time period for ensuring optimal protection from COVID-19, according to a CBS MoneyWatch review of the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Wednesday, just over 2.8 million Americans who had received their first shot — nearly 12% of those vaccinated — had not gotten their second dose within the 28-day interval prescribed for Moderna’s vaccine, one of two approved for use in the U.S. The other vaccine, jointly produced by Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech, is supposed to be administered 21 days after getting a first dose.

First, I would like to thank you for your excellent coverage of the COVID-19 in our region and beyond. Having data transparency and information now are imperative as we wage the battle against the coronavirus. In the article, ”COVID-19 cases spike at UMass,” on Saturday, Feb. 6, it is stated that the state of Massachusetts has received 896,300 doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, and 681, 472 doses have been administered. However, the CDC reports on the same date that Massachusetts has received 1,229,075 doses and has administered 652,929. It is understandable that there may be some delays in updating the reports. It appears that over 350,000 doses are somehow unaccounted for in the state of Massachusetts.

Slowly but surely, people are getting vaccinated. As of Thursday, February 25, 6.2% of the U.S. population was fully vaccinated, and 14% had received at least one dose. As exciting as this news is, there’s been a lot of controversies as people find ways to skip the line and get it before higher-risk groups. Then there are people who wait in line to see if they can get access to any leftover doses at the end of the day that would otherwise go bad. These people in particular are experiencing “vaccine shaming” and are often accused of being greedy. Fitness instructor and talk show host Amanda Kloots is one of the most public victims of this shaming.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s expert advisory committee is meeting today to discuss the emergency use authorization of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine. If authorized, it will be the first single-dose Covid-19 vaccine. Despite some confusing data about its efficacy compared with other vaccines, this new one-shot vaccine has the potential to substantially ease the logistical problems that we’ve seen to date. Healthcare systems, especially in the 130 countries that have yet to give out their first shots, should pay close attention. Americans should, too. First, consider the efficacy issue. Compared to the eye-popping 95% efficacy levels of the two-dose Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, Johnson & Johnson’s 66% efficacy at preventing moderate and severe disease might seem disappointing. But it is important to realize that 66% is a very high efficacy level in absolute terms.

Across the Midwest, the rollout of COVID vaccines has been spotty. Lots of people are having a trouble with online signups. And vaccine demand far exceeds supply. That’s made the process challenging, especially in rural areas. For years, the Girls State Training School in central Iowa has sat mostly empty. But on this day, the main building is buzzing as a local vaccination clinic opens. Rooms labeled for social workers, psychologists and others who once helped delinquent girls are filled with health care workers and elderly residents from the rural area. "It's zooming today. We've noticed that despite our best efforts to say come at your scheduled time, people are coming 10, 15 minutes early," says Shannon Zoffka, executive director of the Tama County Public Health Department.

This week, Iowa opened the next phase for vaccine distribution. Phase 1B includes frontline essential workers as well as Iowans 65 and older. But vaccine demand far exceeds supply, and has made rollout challenging, especially in the state’s many rural areas. For more than seven years, the Girls State Training School in Toledo has sat mostly empty and unused. But on Monday, the school campus’ main building is buzzing on the first day of Tama County’s COVID-19 vaccination clinic. Rooms that are still labeled for their previous tenants -- social workers, psychologists, administrators -- are now filled with health care workers, mostly volunteers, and elderly residents of the rural county of about 18,000.