All Iowans may be eligible for COVID-19 vaccine before May 1
Since December, the IDPH has administered 1,034,296 doses of the vaccine to all eligible Iowans. The percentage of Iowans fully vaccinated is 14.8 percent, ranking Iowa 19th in the nation.
Syringes for the COVID-19 vaccine lay on a counter at the VA Medical Center in Iowa City on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020. The center received the Moderna vaccine for its employees.
March 12, 2021
The Iowa Department of Public Health has administered its one-millionth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, as Gov. Kim Reynolds announces that Iowa may make all Iowans eligible for the vaccine before May 1.
President Joe Biden has directed states to make all U.S. adults eligible for the vaccination by May 1.
In a press release sent on Friday, the Iowa Department of Public Health said it has administered 1 million vaccines since the first Pfizer vaccinations were given to health care workers in December.
Reynolds also said eligibility may open up to all Iowans before Biden’s goal of May 1.
“I’m extremely proud of our progress and I look forward to further expanding eligibility to all Iowans as supply increases,” Reynolds said. “In his address to the nation last evening, President Biden directed states to open vaccination to all adults by May 1. Here in Iowa, it’s possible we could beat that deadline as long as vaccine supply increases as projected and remains stable.”
According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, Iowa has administered 1,034,296 doses of the vaccine. According to a press release, 28.7 percent of all eligible Iowans 18 and older have received a vaccine, a rate that ranks Iowa 13th in the nation.
The number of Iowans fully vaccinated totals 359,687, which is 14.8 percent of the state’s eligible population, ranking Iowa 19th nationally.
The share of Iowans age 65 and older that have received at least one dose of the vaccine has nearly reached 95 percent, and 27.1 percent of Iowans age 18 to 64 have at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the press release.
Iowans aged 64 and younger who have preexisting medical conditions were made eligible for a vaccine and included in the phase 1B round of vaccinations on March 8.
In addition to the potential eligibility increase, the release said the 211 Iowa call center also launched a new vaccination navigator service on March 9 that helps Iowans 65 and older schedule vaccination appointments who were unable to schedule one due to technology or other barriers.
Since March 9, the Iowa call center has scheduled 2,123 appointments for older Iowans at Hy-Vee pharmacies located near them, the release said.