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Gov. Reynolds expects increased vaccine allocation

JOHNSTON — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday the federal government is promising states a 17 percent increase in one of the vaccines the state receives starting in early February, potentially boosting the number of shots available amid frustration that eligible people have been unable to get vaccinated.

Reynolds said officials in President Joe Biden’s administration promised governors in a call Tuesday that the federal government would increase state allocations to accelerate the national vaccination program.

The increased federal supply would raise Iowa’s weekly doses of the Moderna vaccine to 25,800 a week for at least three weeks beginning Feb. 8, an Iowa Department of Public Health spokeswoman said. The state also will continue to receive about 19,500 doses of Pfizer vaccine. The change will boost the state’s total allocation to about 45,300 doses a week for at least three weeks.

Reynolds said additional vaccine doses also are available from the federal allocation to nursing homes. While about 90 percent of nursing home residents are accepting the vaccine, only about 50 percent of staff initially agreed to be vaccinated. Reynolds said staff rates have risen in the past week but there are additional vaccine doses potentially available for the state to use for the general public.

Iowa is in a phase in which people 65 and older are eligible for vaccination, but the lack of supply has limited the number of individuals who have received shots.

The Iowa Department of Public Health said 198,764 Iowans have received a vaccine. The state said 128,913 have had at least the first shot while 40,331 have received both doses. The two vaccines now in wide distribution require two doses for a complete immune response.

Iowa on Wednesday reported eight additional deaths, raising the total to 4,500. An additional 1,100 new confirmed cases were reported in the last 24 hours.

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