New York State is on the verge of running out of coronavirus vaccines by the end of the day Friday, forcing health care providers to cancel appointments for first-time recipients and making them consider dipping into 300,000 doses set aside for patients expecting the second shot, WABC ABC-7 News reports.
Fifteen vaccination hubs in New York City will remain closed through Sunday, with others cutting back on appointments. The shortage of vaccines could jeopardize plans to fully reopen schools in the city by September.
The shortage of doses puts public health officials in a quandary, making them choose between using reserve doses to give to first-time recipients and hoping new doses become available in the next two weeks, or holding them to finish the treatment for those already inoculated.
While President Joe Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act to increase the number of vaccines and tests, manufacturers will need time to ramp up production. The previous office holder, Donald Trump, had vowed to have 100 million people vaccinated by the end of 2020, but fewer than nine million got doses. There was also no supply in reserve, despite Trump’s claim that Operation Warp Speed was a success.