Arizona has now administered 4,631,928 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine of the 6 million doses delivered. 38.2% of Arizona residents have received at least one dose. Nationwide, 26.4% of people are vaccinated and 215,951,909 doses have been administered.
This information comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 vaccine tracker.
Arizona News
The governor banned a”vaccine passport” for the state, prohibiting local and regional governments from requiring that residents or visitors need such identification to enter businesses or receive services. From Governor Ducey, via Associated Press:
While we strongly recommend all Arizonans get the COVID-19 vaccine, it’s not mandated in our state — and it never will be. Vaccination is up to each individual, not the government.
There have been 298 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in people who have received the vaccine, according to Fox10 Phoenix. ADHS told Fox10 that it is working to identify patterns or trends in patient characteristics, virus strains and type of vaccine used. However, the 5,800 breakthrough cases nationwide is a much lower number than the projected 95% efficacy rate of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines and the 65% efficacy of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
According to AZCentral, the rush to get the vaccine appears over as frustration, lineups and website problems appear to have subsided. In many areas around the state, there is still a steady demand for vaccines but appointments are overall much easier to find and many appointments are not even getting filled. From Raymond Embry, CEO of Embry Health:
Just a few weeks ago, the idea of being able to hop on to CVS’ site and ADHS’ site and find open appointments would have been unheard of.
Dr. Cara Christ is weighing the likelihood of allowing walk-ins at state-funded vaccination sites, according to the Arizona Capitol Times. This would allow people seeking vaccination to circumvent the famously confusing ADHS enrollment website or calling to schedule via phone.
Local News
Pima County has struggled to meet demand for shots and appointments since the rollout began, but according to Tucson.com, the county is following the state and there are now vaccination appointments going unfilled. Health officials are looking into whether there’s been a drop in interest for vaccine, or if there are simply more places people can get immunized.
Tucson.com also reports that the pause in distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has not caused widespread shortage for Pima County. From Dr. Joe Gerald, associate professor with University of Arizona’s College of Public Health:
(The pause) does more to perhaps threaten equitable distribution, more so than the bigger picture of getting the absolute numbers we need to be successful.
A state-funded mass-vaccination site opened on the Northern Arizona University campus on Monday, and is planned to operate 7 days a week, the Arizona Daily Sun reports. The site will provide the Pfizer vaccine and is available to all residents aged 16 and older.
National News
A Wyoming hospital is offering healthcare workers willing to get fully vaccinated $600 before tourists return to Teton County for the summer season. In a meeting last Friday, the board of trustees of St. John’s Health Hospital passed the “COVID safety” bonus program with $500,000 allotted towards it. From Karen Connelly, chief communications officer for St. John’s Health, via Modern Healthcare.
Despite the pandemic, last summer was some of our busiest yet with tourists from around the country visiting Jackson Hole and Yellowstone National Park.
A coalition of 60 hospitals and healthcare institutions from all over the country are collaborating in a nationwide campaign to encourage adults to get vaccinated against COVID-19. According to the Cleveland Clinic newsroom, the campaign “Get the Vaccine to Save Lives” is led by Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic.
Global
Poorer countries are having a much more difficult time getting the vaccine than the United States and other wealthier nations. The entire continent of Africa has administered 2% of the world’s vaccine doses thus far. From Kate Elder, senior vaccine policy adviser at Doctors Without Borders’ Access Campaign, via KNAU:
If we had decided to adhere to what the World Health Organization has recommended — which is that frontline health care workers and other most vulnerable people should be vaccinated first, regardless of where they live — we would have distributed these vaccines very differently.
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