The U.S. has entered a tricky phase of the COVID-19 vaccination effort as providers try to ramp up the number of people getting first shots while also ensuring a growing number of others get second doses. The shift is happening just when millions more Americans are becoming eligible to receive vaccines.
The need to give each person two doses a few weeks apart vastly complicates the country’s biggest-ever vaccination campaign. And persistent uncertainty about future vaccine supplies fuels worries that some people will not be able to get their second shots in time.
In some cases, local health departments and providers have said they must temporarily curb or even cancel appointments for first doses to ensure there are enough second doses for people who need them.
For about the past month, the U.S. has administered an average of 900,000 first doses each day, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed by The Associated Press. Now many of those people are due for second doses, and states are trying to administer first doses to an expanded pool of recipients.
So far, about 10% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, About 3% has received both doses, the AP analysis showed.
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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
Spain surpasses 3 million coronavirus cases, seventh highest total in the world. The Biden administration says it will increase vaccine supply next week. WHO team: Coronavirus likely jumped to humans from animals. Evidence is mounting that having COVID-19 may not protect against getting infected again with some of the new variants.
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