States face difficult balance of supply and demand for COVID-19 vaccine

States face difficult balance of supply and demand for COVID-19 vaccine Public health experts and state officials say most Americans will need to be patient as the available supply of COVID-19 vaccines works to catch up to the demand as states start to make vaccination available to more people. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced several changes to the vaccine rollout meant to speed things up in his last briefing with Operation Warp Speed, including releasing more doses and pushing governors to expand those eligible to include everyone older than 65 and younger adults with medical conditions. As governors decide whether to follow Azar's recommendation and make significantly more people eligible for the vaccine, they face concerns about whether the supply coming into the state will be able to keep up with the exploding demand. YahooNews

Public health experts and state officials say most Americans will need to be patient as the available supply of COVID-19 vaccines works to catch up to the demand as states start to make vaccination available to more people.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced several changes to the vaccine rollout meant to speed things up in his last briefing with Operation Warp Speed, including releasing more doses and pushing governors to expand those eligible to include everyone older than 65 and younger adults with medical conditions.

As governors decide whether to follow Azar's recommendation and make significantly more people eligible for the vaccine, they face concerns about whether the supply coming into the state will be able to keep up with the exploding demand.

Mississippi ran out of vaccine appointments on Wednesday, a day after expanding eligibility to include people 65 and older and people with pre-existing medical conditions. ...

New Jersey announced Wednesday that individuals ages 16 to 64 with medical conditions that increase their risk of severe illness from COVID-19 are eligible for the vaccine -- including smokers, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's list of qualifying medical conditions. The groups now eligible are in addition to millions of residents already in line, including people over the age of 65, first responders and health care workers. ...

And in Arkansas, the state is set to expand vaccination to include people 70 and older, teachers and day care workers, which Secretary of Health Jose Romero said was decided before Tuesday's announcement. The state does not plan to include adults younger than 65 with health conditions, though he said that could change in a matter of weeks. ...