LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Additional first doses of the Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccine will not be sent to 17 Arkansas counties next week, only second doses, according to the health officials.
Vaccine orders were based on requests from those who provide vaccinations, state epidemiologist Jennifer Dillaha told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
“I would have to assume it’s because they had sufficient vaccine this time and didn’t need further shipments at this point,” Dillaha said.
Arkansas on Thursday marked 1 million people who have received a virus vaccination.
Demand for the vaccine has dropped in other areas of the United States to the point where some counties are turning down new shipments of doses.
Dillaha also said the state health department will wait until the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes its full recommendations, possibly Tuesday, on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine before resuming its use.
The J&J vaccine was paused for 11 days because rare cases of blood clots were potentially linked to it. U.S. health officials said Friday that they were lifting the pause and some states have resumed using it.
The state health department on Saturday reported 334,642 total virus cases and 5,717 deaths since the pandemic began.
