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States indicate caution about being able to implement Federal goal for vaccine goal
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President Joe Biden’s new goal of expanding vaccine eligibility to all adults by May 1 could quickly slam into states’ complex appointment systems, lingering supply questions and challenges ensuring shots make it quickly to vulnerable populations.
In Oklahoma, state officials say they’re still rushing to add sites for administering the vaccines. In West Virginia, officials worry that extending vaccine sign-ups to everyone threatens to leave behind those at highest risk from the virus. In Oregon, state officials are weighing whether they'll need federal help to scale up their new online appointment system in time.
Renewed concerns from state officials a day after Biden’s prime time address, where he set the target for busting open vaccine eligibility, reinforce that it may still be months before all Americans eager to get their shots can actually roll up their sleeves. And despite optimism from Biden about the ever-accelerating pace of vaccinations, logistical on-the-ground challenges — including some well out of his administration’s control — could still trip up his goal for Americans to regain a sense of normalcy by this summer.
State officials on Friday sounded hopeful they could meet the new May 1 target, which Biden announced after giving governors just a couple hours’ notice Thursday night. But they’re also cautious of overpromising, acknowledging that any number of factors could trip up the vaccination effort. It’s a harsh truth that public officials will have to message carefully to avoid further frustrating a crisis-weary public eager to put the pandemic behind them.
“It's a good thing to aspire to, but I just think we need to probably keep an eye and see how we're doing when we get into April,” said Marcus Plescia, the chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said of Biden’s goal.
Anticipating an influx of doses, some states had already expected to open up once-scarce shots to all adults in the coming weeks. After Alaska became the first to do so Tuesday, governors in Utah and Michigan announced moves toward that direction this week. Ohio and Connecticut are also on track for meeting Biden’s goal, spokespersons for those governors said. ...
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