Iowa Badly Trails Neighbor States In Vaccines

Iowa is behind most neighboring Midwestern states in administering federally delivered COVID-19 vaccines, while Republican lawmakers say the state isn’t “getting its fair share of COVID vaccines.”

Gov. Kim Reynolds at a press conference on Thursday said that Iowa—currently ranked 46th in the nation per capita in administering shots to residents— is receiving fewer doses than other states, causing the low vaccination rates.

But Iowa has administered around 68% of the doses delivered to the state from the federal government, according to Center for Disease Control and Prevention data reported on Tuesday, leading only Missouri in vaccine administration rates per capita compared to bordering states.

Reynolds said at the press conference that she has reached out to federal officials about why Iowa is receiving fewer vaccine doses than other states.

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Then, in a letter to the CDC on Tuesday, Iowa’s U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst requested the agency publicly release its weekly formula for allocating vaccines to states following recent reports that Iowa isn’t receiving its fair share of vaccines.

NEW → @ChuckGrassley and @SenJoniErnst are calling on @CDCgov to publicly release its weekly formula for allocating vaccines to states and other jurisdictions.

Iowans must have confidence we are receiving our fair share of vaccines. pic.twitter.com/qCcz088SrA

— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) February 9, 2021

“Iowans must have confidence we are receiving our fair share of vaccines,” the letter reads. “If the CDC publishes the week-to-week formula and key details, this transparency will ensure Iowans and all Americans can confirm the federal government is fairly allocating vaccines and build confidence in the vaccine distribution process.”

I’m hearing recent reports say Iowa may not b getting its fair share of COVID vaccines from feds& Iowans deserve answers Sen Ernst& I called on CDC 2make weekly allocation formula public All Americans deserve fair access 2covid vaccines+more transparent process helps w confidence

— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) February 9, 2021

Out of all seven of its bordering states, Iowa’s 11,150 administered vaccine doses per 100,000 people comes only before Missouri’s amount of shots given to residents per capita, however.

That means 158,747 doses of the vaccine sit unused in the state.

Minnesota has administered 13,215 of its doses per 100,000 people, South Dakota has administered 15,060 per 100,000 and Wisconsin has inoculated 13,213 per 100,000 residents. Nebraska and Illinois also have better ratios of immunization rates per capita.

by Isabella Murray
Posted 2/10/21

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