Prognosis
States Urged to Widen Vaccination Pool Amid Slow U.S. Start
- Azar pins sluggish vaccine rollout on holidays, priorities
- Governors told to ramp up vaccinations to avoid wasting shots
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Top U.S. health officials encouraged states to start vaccinating people more widely, acknowledging that the immunization rollout has been slower than anticipated and opening the spigot for a broader range of Americans to begin getting shots.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar during a call with reporters Wednesday blamed the introduction of Covid-19 shots around the holidays and overly detailed state plans for hindering the vaccination campaign. He urged governors to vaccinate more seniors and other high-risk populations to prevent shots from sitting in freezers.