News Room

After the initial excitement following the authorization of the first COVID-19 vaccines, a harsh reality set in. People who want a vaccine can’t get it, some counties have more than others and older people are camping out for it the way they once might have for tickets to a Bruce Springsteen concert. All of this would seem to be an indication of supply chain problems or systems breakdowns. In fact, it’s more about a shortage of employees to support the supply chains and distributions. Some states are even considering calling up the National Guard.

The vaccine rollout has not been as fast as many had hoped with millions of vaccines shipped out, now just waiting to be administered. COVID-19 vaccines started rolling out across the country in mid-December and arriving in Georgia on Dec. 14. But when it comes to the actual administration, some challenges are causing delays. "To complicate things, we are dealing with a very contagious disease, so we can not simply accumulate or congregate or line up a huge amount of people in a small place indoors," said supply chain expert, Pinar Keskinocak.

Sarah Bowers has called fruitlessly around to multiple county and state officials to see if she could find any information on when her 95-year-old mother would be eligible for the vaccine. Bowers’ mother resides in the independent living section of a senior facility in Indianapolis. Residents in the skilled nursing part of the campus have been vaccinated, but not Bowers’ mother, who’s in quarantine right now in her apartment.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced Monday, Jan. 4, the four-phase plan for administering the commonwealth’s allotment of COVID-19 vaccines, and some hospitals and health departments developed plans to ensure people included in those phases are made aware then it is their turn. The first phase includes three stages, and Kentucky is still in Phase 1A, which includes healthcare personnel and residents of long-term care and assisted living facilities. When one phase ends and another begins, members of the prioritized groups will need to know the vaccine is available to them and where to get it. 

North Carolina COVID-19 hospitalizations hit a record high Tuesday for a fourth straight day. The numbers could continue to rise in coming weeks as the state sees the brunt of coronavirus spread from Christmas and other holiday gatherings, experts said. “Unfortunately, we’re seeing the very early stages of a post-holiday surge,” said Dr. Joseph Rogers, chief medical officer for Duke University Health System. “And I think many of us that are working in health systems across the Triangle are worried about what this ends up looking like.”