Scott Gottlieb, MD, a physician and former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), told CBS that the COVID vaccine is our “only tool” in stopping the spread of the coronavirus, especially in a time when new variants are rapidly spreading. To combat this, Gottlieb says a lot of people need to be vaccinated quickly in order to produce “enough protective immunity into the population.” The problem is that not enough people are currently being vaccinated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 22 million doses have been distributed throughout the country as of Jan. 10, but so far, only around 6 million doses have actually been administered to individuals. Meanwhile, COVID spread is repeatedly reaching new highs in the country. The New York Times reported an average of 254,866 new coronavirus cases each day for the past week—an increase of 38 percent from the average two weeks earlier. “We need to acknowledge that it’s not working,” Gottlieb said about the vaccine rollout during a Jan. 10 CBS interview. “We need to hit the reset and adopt a new strategy in trying to get out to patients.” Gottlieb says the biggest issue right now is getting the vaccine to eligible patients. While some states have started administering vaccines to people over a certain age in addition to healthcare workers, supply is not being pushed as heavily as it should be, he believes. The former FDA head said that there are 40 million doses of the vaccine manufactured—a number nowhere near the 6 million doses administered. According to Gottlieb, that’s because officials “aren’t doing a good job getting [the vaccine] to patients.” “You have 40 million on the shelf. We have 50 million Americans above the age of 65. So, we have supply to push it out to that population more aggressively,” he explained. “We need to try everything right now to create multiple distribution points. A lot of senior citizens aren’t going to want to go to a, you know, a stadium to get an inoculation. They’re going to want to go to a pharmacy, a local pharmacy or a doctor’s office. So, we need to provide more opportunity for people to get a vaccination where they’re comfortable getting it.” Most states are falling behind on their vaccine distribution, but a few are faring better than others. Using the CDC’s data tracker, Beeker’s Hospital Review has calculated what percentage of vaccines have been administered by states based on how many they were given. Keep reading to find out which four states have already administered more than half of their vaccines, and for more urgent vaccine guidance, If You Take These OTC Meds, You Have to Stop Before Getting the Vaccine. Number of doses distributed to this state: 126,275 Number of doses administered by this state: 87,215 Percentage of distributed doses that have been administered: 69.07 percent And for more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. Number of doses distributed to this state: 43,950 Number of doses administered by this state: 29,954 Percentage of distributed doses that have been administered: 68.15 percent And for more on vaccine restrictions, discover The Only 2 People Who Shouldn’t Get the COVID Vaccine, FDA Official Says. Number of doses distributed to this state: 67,925 Number of doses administered by this state: 36,890 Percentage of distributed doses that have been administered: 54.31 percent And for more important vaccine news, If Your COVID Vaccine Site Doesn’t Have This, You Need to Go Elsewhere. Number of doses distributed to this state: 219,125ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Number of doses administered by this state: 116,277 Percentage of distributed doses that have been administered: 53.06 percent And if you’re worried about getting sick, learn The Earliest Signs You Have COVID, According to the Mayo Clinic.
