(Des Moines) At her press conference this morning, Governor Kim Reynolds said more than 1.1 million Iowans are now fully vaccinated from COVID 19. She said 86 percent of the doses received in Iowa have been administered, ranking Iowa 5th in the nation; more than 46 percent of those eligible (18 and older) for a vaccine are fully vaccinated, ranking Iowa 13th among states nationwide; and more than 57 percent of those eligible have had at least one dose.
Reynolds said for those who have received their first of the two dose vaccine series, the uptake of second doses among Iowans is encouraging. As of May 2nd, approximately 66,500 Iowans had received their first dose and are eligible for their second dose but haven’t received it yet, but nearly 41 percent of those individuals are less than one week past due.
Reynolds said all you need to do is bring your vaccine card to a pharmacy near you or call your healthcare provider as soon as you are able.
Reynolds also noted that demand for vaccine in Iowa and nationwide is waning. In Iowa, more than 75,000 doses were declined, 54 counties declined their entire allocation, 34 declined a portion of their doses and 11 counties accepted their full amount.
Reynolds said they are committed to making vaccination as convenient for Iowans as possible. She said the 211 vaccine navigator is now available to any Iowan needing help getting an appointment; they’ve continued to conduct focused outreach to community organizations and churches serving minority populations; moving from mass vaccination clinics serving thousands to more targeted clinics designed to reach smaller, more specific groups; and next week a new vaccine awareness campaign will begin running statewide on TV, Radio, and online in both English and Spanish.
