Quote:
Originally Posted by kanoa1kale2
In order for the 100 million doses to be met, the suppliers would have to ramp up the manufacturing process greatly. Using Amazon as an example is not going to work. They are a private company with excellent and predictable inventory control. At present, the two approved vaccines have different distribution parameters. Pfizer requires storage at -70C which many places do not have. Consequently their distribution is hampered by the lack of refrigeration to accomplish this. Moderna can be stored in a normal refrigeration unit without special handling. Having the states and other political organizations help distribute the vaccine introduces another variable. The local political organizations should have a far better idea of where the vaccines should go. The changing guidelines at the CDC don't help. In my opinion, front line essential workers should be first, followed by anyone with the dangerous comorbidities regardless of age, then the older groups in decreasing age categories. The logic behind this is the front line workers are the most likely to catch and spread the virus to those around them. Those with comorbidities are the most likely to require hospital care which taxes the system and are most likely to die. After that, the older ones down to the youngest who seem to fight it off easier are in line.
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100M doses by the end of 2020 is what we were told in November/December with the number later being dropped to 50M. The information I can find today says 41M doses shipped which is clearly less than what we were told we would see and 24 days later. Production seems to be the issue here.
But the problem cannot be entirely production. The same source that showed 41M doses shipped also showed 20M doses used (17M vaccinated with 3M having received the 2nd dose). It seems 40M produced - 20M used means 20M doses that must be sitting somewhere. MAYBE they are set aside for the health care workers and residents of nursing homes. MAYBE they are set aside for the 14M who still need their second shot. MAYBE someone knows where they are but that information isn't readily available.
The storage requirements of the vaccine should make tracking it easier, not harder. Since few facilities have the freezers necessary for the vaccine there are fewer possible destinations which makes tracking easier.
The CDC requirements have not changed significantly, if at all. Health care workers and nursing homes followed by certain front-line workers, those over 75, and those with certain medical conditions. The only deviation for us is DeSantis opening the door to 65 and over and prioritizing age over less-critical front-line workers. Nothing in that affects production or the ability to track shipments.