Due to the brilliance of Polk County Health Director Helen Eddy and her posse, Polk county residents that recived dose one of the Moderna vaccine, can't get dose two. Ms. Eddy failed to assure that any vaccines were retained for second doses. She irresponsibly banked on a new supply of Moderna to cover second doses. Well Iowa didn't get enough Moderna to cover those awaiting their second doses. So unless more Moderna arrives - soon, thousand and thousands will have to get in line again and start with dose one. This woman and anyone else involved should be fired.
Here the Polk County Health Department press release from a week ago -
(Des Moines, IA) – On behalf of Polk County hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, we want to thank our community for their patience and understanding as we continue vaccinating individuals eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine as efficiently as possible. Collectively, we are committed to keeping everyone safe and healthy.
We are asking the public to please be patient. We are grateful that our community is eager to receive vaccines, and we are excited to administer the vaccinations as we receive them. However, at this time, demand for the COVID-19 vaccine far exceeds supply. Each week, our hospitals, clinics and pharmacies receive different allocation amounts.
We enjoyed a large allocation in January which allowed us to vaccinate more people. This is unusual for our typical vaccine allocation. At this time, our priority is to focus on providing second doses. Limited first dose appointments are still being scheduled at clinics and select pharmacies.
With limited vaccine allocations, you may not receive your second dose of the Moderna vaccine on the exact day or week that it is due. While there may be a delay in receiving the second dose of the Moderna vaccine, please be assured that the timing of your second dose will not compromise the effectiveness of your vaccination and you will not have to start the series over again. While it remains important to get your second dose of the Moderna vaccine, fortunately, individuals receive significant protection against the COVID-19 virus within 10 days of receiving your first dose.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the second dose should be administered as close to the recommended interval as possible. However, if it is not feasible to adhere to the recommended interval and a delay in vaccination is unavoidable, the second dose of Moderna vaccines may be administered up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose. If the second dose is administered within the 42-day interval, there is no need to restart the series. There is currently limited data on efficacy of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines if the second dose is administered beyond this window.
Here the Polk County Health Department press release from a week ago -
(Des Moines, IA) – On behalf of Polk County hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, we want to thank our community for their patience and understanding as we continue vaccinating individuals eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine as efficiently as possible. Collectively, we are committed to keeping everyone safe and healthy.
We are asking the public to please be patient. We are grateful that our community is eager to receive vaccines, and we are excited to administer the vaccinations as we receive them. However, at this time, demand for the COVID-19 vaccine far exceeds supply. Each week, our hospitals, clinics and pharmacies receive different allocation amounts.
We enjoyed a large allocation in January which allowed us to vaccinate more people. This is unusual for our typical vaccine allocation. At this time, our priority is to focus on providing second doses. Limited first dose appointments are still being scheduled at clinics and select pharmacies.
With limited vaccine allocations, you may not receive your second dose of the Moderna vaccine on the exact day or week that it is due. While there may be a delay in receiving the second dose of the Moderna vaccine, please be assured that the timing of your second dose will not compromise the effectiveness of your vaccination and you will not have to start the series over again. While it remains important to get your second dose of the Moderna vaccine, fortunately, individuals receive significant protection against the COVID-19 virus within 10 days of receiving your first dose.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the second dose should be administered as close to the recommended interval as possible. However, if it is not feasible to adhere to the recommended interval and a delay in vaccination is unavoidable, the second dose of Moderna vaccines may be administered up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose. If the second dose is administered within the 42-day interval, there is no need to restart the series. There is currently limited data on efficacy of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines if the second dose is administered beyond this window.
