U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, MD, said states shouldn't be too concerned with vaccinating people in perfect order if it slows the vaccination process, The Hill reported.
Dr. Adams said that if those in the priority group don't want to be vaccinated and there is supply left over, states should move to the next people on the priority list.
"Your headline today really should be, 'Surgeon General tells states and governors to move quickly to other priority groups.' If the demand isn't there in 1a, go to 1b, and continue on down. And if the demand isn't there in one location, move those vaccines to another location," Dr. Adams said, The Hill reported Jan. 5.
Only about 4.8 million of 17 million COVID-19 vaccines distributed have been given to patients so far, according to the CDC's tracker.
"Many folks, and I've been to states all across the country, feel beholden to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices guidelines to vaccinate everyone in group 1a before they move to 1b, and beyond. And what I want people to know is, these are guidelines, but we've been telling these states since September that we need to make sure we're prioritizing getting everyone vaccinated as quickly as possible," Dr. Adams said.
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