Featured sources, Jan. 24
We have two featured sources this week, both related to vaccine data: tracking vaccination demographics and surveying vaccine hesitancy.
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Vaccination is a logistics problem
The federal government is distributing millions of doses each week, and many of those doses are making it into arms. By sheer numbers, we are already on track to meet President Biden’s 100 million vaccinations in 100 days goal. Our current problem is, in fact, a logistics one. It’s a build up of infrastructure failures, with all the weight falling on underfunded local public health departments.
Read MoreOnly 19 states report vaccinations by race/ethnicity
Today, I’m focusing on a vaccination issue that hasn’t gotten as much press: who is actually getting vaccinated? On the national level, we largely can’t answer this question, thanks to a lack of demographic data.
Read MoreVaccine confusion abounds—and this is the easy stage
Despite the federal government’s intense push to get vaccines through safety trials, that “last mile” step—from the Pfizer and Moderna factories to people’s arms—has been under-planned and underfunded. CDD analyzes publicly reported vaccination phases for every state and vaccine registration portals, along with other data updates.
Read MoreVaccination data update, Jan. 3
Despite the holidays, several more states began reporting vaccination data in the past week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also made a huge update: this national dashboard is now posting vaccination counts at the state level. And I made a vaccination data resource page!
Read MoreCDC now reporting a vaccination count (and other updates)
Despite the holiday, many jurisdictions have begun reporting COVID-19 vaccination data since my last issue. Major updates include: the CDC added vaccinations to its dashboard, 27 states are now reporting COVID-19 vaccination data, and Our World in Data is tracking COVID-19 vaccinations worldwide.
Read More15 states are reporting COVID-19 vaccination data—federal government lags behind
This past week, the first COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered to frontline healthcare workers across the country. The FDA issued Emergency Use Authorization to a second vaccine. But I haven’t seen a vaccination dashboard from the CDC. This federal agency is lagging behind several states that are making their vaccination counts public, as well as journalists who have already begun to compile the limited information that’s available.
Read MoreVaccines are shipping out, but is the U.S. ready to track them?
Already, four states are claiming that they will be unable to start administering vaccinations until January, while several other states have deferred the decision about who gets a shot first to healthcare providers. While the CDC has issued guidances, many logistics are left up to states—the same type of fractured system which has prevented America from getting its testing under control. True to my beat, I am most concerned about vaccine data. Earlier this week, the New York Times’s Sheryl Gay Stolberg reported that some states are refusing to report vaccination data to the CDC. Here’s why I’m concerned about this, along with some other vaccine-related news and resources.
Read MoreVaccine news: data and concerns on early distribution
We’re all gearing up for next Thursday, when the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet to discuss Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine. If the vaccine is authorized for distribution, doses will go out to every state within days. Here are a few major data sources and issues that I’ll be watching as these vaccine candidates progress.
Read MoreThinking about vaccine results (AstraZeneca redux)
The 70% effectiveness rate that AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford announced last Monday is promising at first glance, but details about this vaccine’s clinical trials have puzzled epidemiologists. Here’s what to consider as we await more details on AstraZeneca and Oxford’s findings, drawing on reports from STAT News, Nature, and the New York Times.
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