By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Gov. Andy Beshear says Kentucky is working to become the fastest state to vaccinate school staff against COVID-19 so schools can safely reopen for in-person classes, but wider distribution is being hampered by the supply.
He says 88% of the first doses sent to the state program have been used.
“This last week, we administered the most doses we ever have, including second doses, at 93,499, and vaccinated the most people we ever have with initial doses: 82,511 people,” said Gov. Beshear. “The problem here is supply, supply, supply. We can vaccinate 250,000 Kentuckians per week, and we’re still building up our capabilities, but we’re only getting 56,000 new doses per week from the federal government.”
He says they have been using doses from the first weeks, when the state was still building its distribution network.
“What this means is by the end of next week, or at the very most the week after, we will have used up every bit of excess we have. That would mean we wouldn’t be able to give 82,511 people that first dose. We would be restricted to what we are getting in that week, because we wouldn’t have any reserve.”
Beshear noted the state currently has the capability to vaccinate 250,000 people a week and is still building the capability.
“But if we’re only getting 56,000 new doses, it is an extreme limitation that is holding us from getting our people vaccinated as quickly as we want.”
According to the Associated Press, the Biden administration is giving states an approximately 17% boost in vaccine next week, following complaints around the country of shortages so severe that some vaccination sites had to cancel tens of thousands of appointments with people waiting for their first shot.
The governor says all long-term care centers, which include skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities have received their first doses of vaccine.
“If there is any remaining assisted living facility that has not received it, call our Cabinet for Health and Family Services and talk to Adam Mather. We will make sure to raise that with CVS or Walgreens.”
Those pharmacy chains have a contract with the federal government to vaccinate residents and staff at those facilities.
During the daily briefing this afternoon, the governor says he will provide an update on how Kentuckians in Phase 1A, 1B and 1C can sign up for an appointment at new regional Kroger vaccination centers as well as other partner locations.
To find out more click here and view vaccine information section, near the top of the home page.