April 26, 2021 at 7:52pm EST
Second dose of Covid-19 vaccine outpaces first in US again
Michael Nedelman, Keri Enriquez and Nadia Kounang via CNN
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fewer new people get their first Covid-19 shot than those who get their second.
In 10 of the past 11 days, the number of people who were “fully vaccinated” outpaced the number of people who had “at least one dose” — a sign that the second dose is getting outpaced the first in the case of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines .
This is the second time this has happened since the US vaccine was rolled out. The first was in February, when bad weather caused delays in vaccine shipments across the country.
While the shift began during a pause in J&J’s rollout, the single-dose vaccine is expected to boost both numbers by the same amount. Additionally, CDC releases of data may be delayed and doses may not be available on the day of the report.
Experts told CNN that the reasons for this trend are unclear, but it may reflect a slowdown in demand.
“I think it’s really just hitting the wall of hesitation,” said Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.
Murray said he expects that within the next few weeks, “we’ll really start to run out of people willing to get vaccinated for the first time.”
Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, agrees that the U.S. may have reached a “demand plateau.” Hope it bounces back. “
Hannan said there are still people who want a vaccine, but may not have an appointment yet. “We’re going to have to make it as easy as possible for them to get the vaccine,” she added.
Hannan said that could be helped by the return of the J&J vaccine, walk-in vaccination sites, and participation from employers and private physician offices.
Last week, a Kaiser Family Foundation report estimated the U.S. was approaching a “tipping point” where supply would exceed demand within the next two to four weeks.
