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Licensed vocational nurse Aaron Wu, right, gives Dr. James Reynolds the first of two Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations at Seton Medical Center during the coronavirus pandemic in Daly City, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020.
AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
California is facing a serious supply-and-demand problem as it attempts to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to the state’s nearly 40 million residents. While people anxiously await their turn to receive a shot, counties are scrambling to figure out when more vaccines will be available and how they can distribute them quickly and safely.
Governor Gavin Newsom has publicly acknowledged that the rollout is happening more slowly than expected, due to hold-ups with supply from the federal government, the paperwork necessary to certify doctors to give the vaccine and confusion around whether counties can vaccinate multiple priority groups at once.