Fact check: Idaho has 100,000 unused COVID-19 vaccines? Here’s what we know
Idaho has lagged far behind other states in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. The Gem State ranked near the bottom for a few key numbers — including how many doses have actually made their way into arms.
Recently, Idaho’s COVID-19 vaccine data showed more than 100,000 doses still unused. Meanwhile, an anxious public clamored for the life-saving vaccine, and health care providers said the only thing holding them back was a shortage of doses.
State health officials couldn’t say for sure what the reasons were for that apparent backlog.
But they are getting a better idea of where the now 101,500 unused vaccines are, and why they haven’t been injected into people who want protection from COVID-19.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and Idaho Statesman both identified thousands of doses that were sitting unused with CVS and Walgreens as of late last month. The large national chain pharmacies — which received 66,300 of Idaho’s doses under a federal program — discovered there was much lower demand than expected at nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
The pharmacies still had 32,000 of those doses, Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen said Tuesday. The state has reclaimed 12,600 doses from CVS and reallocated them to Idaho health care providers. The state may reclaim doses from Walgreens as well, officials said Tuesday.
In addition, about 47,500 of the unused doses in Idaho as of Tuesday were actually booster shots. It is unclear how far in advance health care providers receive the booster doses for their patients, but officials and health systems have said repeatedly that booster doses are waiting in the wings once a patient receives their first shot. And the vaccines do keep for quite a while. Pfizer vaccine, for example, may be stored for anywhere from five days to six months, depending on the storage temperature.
The remaining 22,000 of the 101,500 unused doses of COVID-19 vaccine in Idaho as of Tuesday were first doses, according to Jeppesen. He noted that, based on shipments to Idaho lately, that’s about a week’s supply — meaning that vaccinators outside of the federal program have been getting their doses out within about a week.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little last week issued an executive order that will require public health districts and health care providers to report their vaccine data daily and weekly. Little said the data will be shared with the public starting Monday, Feb. 8.
