JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Friday that he is expecting about 37,000 first doses of coronavirus vaccine to arrive in next week, which will help bolster the state’s supply after a surge in demand this week left the state with no available appointments at drive-thru vaccination sites.
Officials said all appointments were filled at the state’s 18 drive-thru vaccination sites Wednesday, the day after Reeves announced that the state was making vaccinations available to anyone 65 and older or people of any age with underlying health conditions.
About 16% of the state’s residents are 65 or older, according to U.S. census data. The Department of Health listed more than 12 chronic health conditions on its website that would qualify someone to receive a vaccination. The list includes diabetes and obesity. About 37% of Mississippi’s population qualifies as obese and more than 13% of the population has been diagnosed with diabetes.
Mississippi received a new shipment of coronavirus vaccine this week that will be used for residents who have signed up for appointments at drive-thru vaccination clinics next week, the Department of Health said Friday.
New appointments to get coronavirus vaccinations in Mississippi will likely be available again the week of Jan. 25, after the next shipment arrives, state Department of Health officials said.
State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said that, so far, the state has been getting a steady supply each week - but it’s difficult to predict for sure what allocations will look like.
“We don’t have a lot of clear visibility on how it’s going to change,” he said. “We have a sense, we have basically you know, like a wink or a nod thing. We think we’ll get a stable supply of doses, but we don’t have any guarantee.”
In addition to those 65 or over and with health conditions, health care workers and people living in long-term care facilities are also eligible to receive shots now. Reeves has said he hopes to expand to teachers and first responders next.
As of Friday, more than 87,000 people in Mississippi, a state with a total population of roughly 3 million, had received the first dose of coronavirus vaccine. Just under 10,000 people had received their first and second doses, according to the Department of Health.
The state Health Department reported Friday that Mississippi had 2,342 new confirmed cases of the virus as of Thursday evening. The department also reported 55 deaths Friday. The state has reported nearly 248,189 cases of the virus and 5,411 related deaths since the start of the pandemic.
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Willingham is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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