Cowritten by Meenakshi Mukkamala:
The distribution of COVID-19 vaccines overall can be commended for its speed and effectiveness, but issues with the rollout process still persist. Because of how quickly the vaccines were developed, the rollout procedures in many countries were not as carefully planned and therefore put some brakes in the process. When the vaccines first began to roll out, many appointments were canceled due to shortages of doses. Now, it is getting better, but there is still some backup in some places.
For example, in the UK, “ a delivery of millions of doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot … could be held up by four weeks”, which would definitely cancel many appointments and disappoint many citizens.
The World Health Organization (WHO) even described Europe’s vaccine rollout as “unacceptably slow”. It has been affected by drops in supply and disputes with pharmaceutical companies that they hold vaccine delivery contracts with them. To top it all off, AstraZeneca lowered the number of doses they could deliver to the European Union because of low supply and contracts with other countries. Several things seem to be getting in the way of the vaccine rollout of the European Union, including inner conflicts and arguments. Hopefully, they can resolve their arguments because as slow of a vaccine rollout as the NY Times mentions (only 10% of Europeans have received the first dose) is not ideal in the long term.
The US is doing considerably well, but also has its problems. According to PBS NewsHour, approximately 1.6 million Americans are being vaccinated each day, but that means it will take up to a year to vaccinate all adults in the country. The AHA (American Heart Association) states that to achieve herd immunity, about 1.8 million Americans need to be vaccinated daily. We are on the right track, but clearly faster distribution is needed. Especially with the new variants, this process could potentially slow down even further. On a different note, some countries are taking a new spin on the rollout of vaccines.
In Canada, officials are claiming that the slow rollout of vaccines is deliberate. “ ‘It's shown us really good vaccine effectiveness two months after receipt of the first dose and that the effectiveness isn't decreasing over time,’ ” Dr. Shelley Deeks, vice-chair of NACI (National Advisory Committee on Immunization) and a lead author of the recommendations, said in an interview (Miller). However, people are becoming angry with this because the effectiveness of the second dose is between a month to two months, and officials seem to be delaying this as much as possible If they could receive the second dose a month after the first, why would they want to receive it after two months? However, this method helps more individuals receive a first dose of the vaccination before people receive their second dose, giving it its own advantages. Responses to backlash have not yet been addressed, and we can only wait and see what steps will be taken next.
Slow vaccine rollout is nothing compared to no vaccine rollout. South Africa has actually stopped its distribution and use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca because it evidently has no effect on the new variant. However, the WHO advised against immediately concluding the efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccine as useless, but this decision may still have some potential behind it. It would be a waste of money to buy shipments of the AstraZeneca vaccine if it has no use on the people. More research is needed to confirm that the AstraZeneca vaccine is useless to South Africans, and maybe they can funnel the money they were going to use to buy the shipments to research. South Africa is distributing other COVID-19 vaccinations to its citizens in the meantime, despite the brief interruption due to the AstraZeneca recall.
Additionally, the most recent halt in Johnson and Johnson vaccine rollout is also worrisome. There have been 6 cases of blood clots among almost 7 million people in the U.S. given the vaccination, with one individual even passing away. This has led the CDC to seize all current J&J vaccines in rollout until these cases can be investigated since it is still unclear why this is happening and whether the vaccine is actually what is responsible for the blood clots occurring soon after the vaccination. The pause may only last a few days but its impact could be serious, with many vaccination appointments being canceled or rescheduled. Some vaccination sites will be administering more Moderna and Pfizer vaccinations to make up for the lost J&J vaccines, but those who expected a single-dose vaccination now have to settle for a double-dose one. This may also increase vaccine hesitancy around the country, which is already strong in rural areas and much of the South, as seen in the tweet below by a Republican representative. In the meantime, the health experts of the nation have been tasked with studying these cases and continuing rollout as swiftly as possible, so we can rest assured that this pause in vaccinations is probably not permanent.
Vaccine hesitancy grows with the J&J recall news ^
But what does all this mean for us? Let’s take on the perspective of a person from Europe. You have just booked your second dose vaccine appointment - which wasn’t that easy - and are ready to relax a little. You have even planned a trip to the beach after being vaccinated because you feel more comfortable (although you still plan to wear a mask and keep six feet distance). A week before your appointment you are taking a stroll in the park (with your mask on of course) and you get an email. Curious, you open it and see it is from the vaccine provider you have scheduled your appointment with. You read on and realize that they have just canceled your appointment due to a shipment delay and because of … an argument between the EU and the pharmacy which was going to provide you your vaccine. Simply wonderful. There go your beach plans and the many fantasies of feeling hot sand between your toes and the cool sea breeze once again.
Imagine if you were from Canada. Not only would your appointment have been canceled, but there’s scientific evidence behind the delay, which means you can’t get frustrated. In any case, the beach will just have to wait.
In the end, we have to be patient. Everyone is going through the same thing. We all hold our breaths until the day of our appointment, thankful that it wasn’t canceled and frustrated when it is. Most of us have gotten our first dose, which is good, and now we wait in patience for our second. For those of you who have already gotten your second, congratulations! It’s a weight off your shoulders and hopefully, you can breathe a little easier.
Vaccines are our major weapon against this virus. Unfortunately i am still waiting for my first dose.