After a year full of challenges related to the coronavirus pandemic, the next hurdle for local state leaders is the lack of access to enough doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“The rollout of the vaccines is really a challenge of supply and demand, and at this point, the supply has been limited,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said.
He said Ohio received word from the CDC on Tuesday that there would be a delay in the shipment of doses of the Moderna vaccine to 155 Ohio locations.
“This is today.” DeWine said. “This is vaccines that should’ve been delivered today.”
That delay in shipping could impact more than one fifth of vaccine sites statewide.
“If you’re scheduling appointments, you’re going to have to call all those people and reschedule them,” DeWine said. “What we hope they’ll do is flip days and go to the next day they can do that.”
Kentucky's governor said the state is facing similar issues with limited supplies.
“Supply is going to be our major issue in the United States,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Besher said. “It’s going to be why we have to be so patient.”
Beshear said he’s proud of the work done across the Commonwealth so far.
“Here in Kentucky, we’re proving we can do it better than just about anyone,” he said.
More than 83,000 vaccinations, either first dose or second dose, were given last week. That number will drop close to 56,000 this week due to supply.
“I’ve formally requested from Operation Warp Speed that the federal government double the amount of vaccine we received every week,” Beshear said. “We are proving we can get it out there. We’re proving we’re efficient. We’re proving we can get it into people’s arms.”
Both leaders say they’re hopeful the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZenica vaccines will be approved soon to add more doses to help fight the demand.
