COLUMBUS, Ind. — Bartholomew County health officials are concerned that the local supply for COVID-19 vaccines will soon outpace demand, mirroring trends in much of the U.S.
Across the country, pharmacists and public health officials are seeing the demand wane and vaccine supplies build up. Federal officials have acknowledged entering a new phase of the vaccine rollout to bolster outreach and overcome hesitancy.
Locally, a total of 341 fewer first doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered to Bartholomew County residents from Sunday to Thursday, compared to the same period the week before, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.
“I do believe we will soon reach a point where supply of vaccines will be greater than demand, and that will likely occur soon at the local level,” said Dr. Brian Niedbalski, Bartholomew County health officer. “It is already occurring in other locations nationwide.”
The concerns from local health officials come as officials across the country prepare to respond to vaccine hesitancy, as demand has eclipsed supply as the constraining factor to vaccinations in much of the country, The Associated Press reported.
Some places around the country are already finding there’s such little interest in the shots, they need to turn down vaccine shipments, according to wire reports.
Louisiana has stopped asking the federal government for its full allotment of COVID-19 vaccine. About three-quarters of Kansas counties have turned down new shipments of the vaccine at least once over the past month. And in Mississippi, officials asked the federal government to ship vials in smaller packages so they don’t go to waste.
For the complete story, see Saturday’s Republic.
