Alabama hasn’t received a lot of coronavirus vaccine doses compared to other states – Gov. Kay Ivey said in a release late last month and that she was frustrated the federal government couldn’t keep up with demand. But even with its limited supply, Alabama is struggling to get those doses into arms.
There are a number of ways to measure vaccine distribution, but any measure you use finds that Alabama is near the bottom.
As of Feb. 1, the state was dead last in the nation for the percentage of vaccines given out relative to what it got from the federal government, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the state is near the bottom in all other measures. Yet the state is preparing to open up the eligibility requirements for who can get the vaccine, allowing teachers and people over 65 to sign up.
That’s approximately 1 million more Alabamians eligible for vaccines as of Feb. 8, despite state concerns about the supply and no availability to sign up in many counties. As well as having the lowest vaccine distribution, Alabama has received fewer doses per capita than most other states.
You May Also Like
As of Feb. 1, according to the CDC, Alabama had received 659,400 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines. That’s just under 13,500 doses per 100,000 people – the 10th lowest mark in the country.
Also as of Feb. 1, Alabama had given out 358,280 doses, according to CDC data. That’s about 7,300 doses per 100,000 people. That ranks second to last in the nation behind only Idaho.
In terms of the percent of its population that has received at least one dose – both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require two doses, several weeks apart, for full protection – Alabama ranks fourth from the bottom.
Alabama is second to last in terms of the percentage of people who’ve gotten a second dose. And the slow rollout is not entirely based on supply issues, as Alabama has been slower than other states to distribute what it does have.
