COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Tracker: Week of March 29

Editor's note: Below you'll find release of the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Tracker originally published March 30, 2021. Visit the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Tracker homepage for the latest data.

Nearly 24 million COVID-19 vaccine doses were delivered by the government in the past week—only a slightly higher weekly cadence we’ve seen over the last month. As a result, over 16% of the population is fully vaccinated, compared to 14% this time last week. 

While not much has changed on the distribution front, quite a bit has changed when it comes to vaccine eligibility. As of March 30, only Wyoming has not yet announced when all adult residents will be eligible for the vaccine.

Expanding Eligibility

Some states have already opened up vaccine appointments to all adults, including:

• Alaska
• Arkansas
• Arizona
• Georgia
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Nebraska
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Texas
• Utah
• West Virginia 

But is this a wise decision? While Alaska, North Dakota, and West Virginia have been standouts for efficient distribution and high rates of full immunization since we started this tracker, the same is not true for the other states throwing open eligibility. In fact, most of these states rank on the bottom half of the national list of completely vaccinated populations. 

In these states, people will be vying for first-time vaccine appointments alongside people still trying to get their second doses. And healthy, younger people will be seeking appointments alongside those who are higher risk for COVID-19. As of this moment, there is not enough supply to do both.

While Biden has pledged more doses, the current cadence is not enough to make good on his promise “to have enough vaccine supply for all adults in America by the end of May.” (Note: We interpreted “enough supply” to mean enough vaccines to account for two full doses of Pfizer and Moderna shots, not just the first dose.)

Right now, only Hawaii and Connecticut are on track to have enough doses to fully vaccinate their adult populations by the end of May.

Who Is Doing it Right?

Still, some states deserve praise for their vaccination efforts in recent weeks. A standout example is Maine. 

Throughout the month of March, Maine has steadily improved the percentage of residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This incremental improvement was made possible by an age-based eligibility approach. There’s no guesswork or uncertainty about who is eligible for a vaccine and when: it’s all determined by age. Ultimately, this clarity means fewer doses are wasted. 

Maine CDC director Dr. Nirav Shah is also emphasizing the importance of tightly-run, large-scale vaccination clinics in the state. Since March 1, six mass vaccination sites have opened in Maine, helping the state brace for an increase in vaccine supply from the Biden administration.

“Every single site has indicated to us that they can be doing more,” Shah said, according to local news affiliate WGME. “More vaccines per day, more hours in a day, more days per week, if only they had more shots to give. So, we’ve been asking them, where can you go? If we remove the current constraint around supply, maybe not entirely, but relieve it greatly, how much more can you do?” 

The goal at Maine’s Auburn Mall location, for example, is to vaccinate 1,000 people per day. 

By our calculations, these tactics have helped Maine get on track to fully vaccinate 70% of its adult population by the end of June—aligning with Biden’s goal for the majority of Americans to be vaccinated by the 4th of July. As of March 30, nine other states are also on track.

Data by Amanda Morelli/Adrian Nesta