(Des Moines) Iowa has administered its one-millionth dose of COVID-19 vaccine less than three months after the first Pfizer doses were given to health care workers in the state starting December 15, 2020.
“Today is another important milestone in Iowa’s strong recovery from the pandemic. This has been a monumental effort, and our state has proven that we have the right teams, providers and processes in place to safely and efficiently vaccinate Iowans in a timely manner,” stated Governor Kim Reynolds.
I’m extremely proud of our progress and I look forward to further expanding eligibility to all Iowans as supply increases. 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.”
“This would not have been possible without the incredible teamwork between state and local public health departments, coordination with our federal partners and strong relationships with pharmacies and other providers statewide,” said Kelly Garcia, Director of the Department of Human Services and Department of Public Health interim director. “We’re grateful to every individual and organization that’s been part of this response.”
According to the state’s data, Iowa has administered a total of 1,031,062 doses of vaccine. 40.1% of all eligible Iowans age 18 and up have received at least one dose. The number of Iowans fully vaccinated now totals 366,371, which is 15.2% of the state’s eligible population.
Other statistics include:
- 94.9% of Iowans age 65+ have had at least one dose of vaccine
- 27.1% of Iowans age 18-64 have had at lease one dose of vaccine
Earlier this week, the 211 Iowa call center launched a new vaccine navigator service that schedules appointments for adults age 65 and older who’ve been unable to get vaccinated due to technology or other barriers. Since starting the service on Tues., March 9, 211 has scheduled 2,123 appointments for older Iowans at Hy-Vee pharmacies located near them.
For more information about vaccine eligibility and availability in Iowa, visit vaccinate.iowa.gov. Vaccine data is reported daily at coronavirus.iowa.gov.
