Journal Article

State Strategies for Addressing Barriers During the Early US COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign

Greene, Katie, Fraser, Michael R., Tewarson, Hemi

2021

Overview

Under Operation Warp Speed (OWS), the US government invested an unprecedented $10 billion to speed the development, manufacturing, and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, resulting in emergency use authorizations for two effective vaccine products in a record-breaking 11-month time frame. Although this is a remarkable scientific accomplishment, the United States now faces the urgent task of ensuring widespread acceptance and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, and begin to resume normal economic, educational, and social activities. The operational responsibility for ensuring that COVID19 vaccines are safely and efficiently delivered in a jurisdiction falls largely on state, territorial, tribal, and local governmental public health systems that support jurisdiction-wide vaccination efforts for a variety of immunizations, including childhood diseases and seasonal influenza. Ultimately, state and territory governors are responsible for the \"last mile\" of COVID-19 vaccine distribution in their states and ensuring that vaccination is efficiently prioritized for those who need it most, as well as administered, tracked, and reported to the federal government. Although all states and territories have developed plans to increase capacity, enhance data systems, and develop partnerships to support this complex effort, the initial rollout of vaccine allocations did not match federal projections and public expectations; states reportedly distributed roughly one third of allocated doses in the first two weeks of the program.

• Publisher: American Public Health Association
• Subject: Childhood / Chronic conditions / Colonies & territories / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / COVID-19 - prevention & control / COVID-19 vaccines / COVID-19 Vaccines - administration & dosage / COVID-19 Vaccines - supply & distribution / Disease control / Disease transmission / Dosage / Efficiency / Equity / Essential workers / Federal government / Government / Governors / Health care / Health Communication / Health Personnel / Health services / Humans / Immunity (Disease) / Immunization / Immunization Programs - organization & administration / Immunization/Vaccines / Influenza / Jurisdiction / Local government / Long term health care / Medical personnel / Occupational exposure / Pandemics / Partnerships / Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Planning / Projections / Public health / Public-Private Sector Partnerships / Risk / Social activities / Tribes and tribal systems / Uptake / Vaccination Coverage / Vaccines / Vaccines: Building Long-Term Confidence / Viral diseases