Kim Reynolds: All Iowa adults will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccine April 5, if supply increases as expected
All Iowans could be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting April 5 — if the federal supply continues to increase as projected, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday.
She expects to know for sure next week. Current national projections show between 20 million and 29 million doses of vaccine, including some of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, will be distributed weekly starting in April. Iowa could expect about 200,000 to 290,000 doses out of that supply, enough for about 10% to 15% of the state's adult population.
"(The vaccine supply) is continually ramping up," she said. "The first of April, the numbers look really good."
Federal officials have approved the shots for use in Americans 16 or over. Younger children could be eligible as soon as next fall, experts have said.
The expanded criteria would mark the final stage of adult eligibility for the vaccinations. The state opened vaccine eligibility March 8 to Iowans ages 16-64 with preexisting conditions that put them at heightened risk. Officials noted the expansion did not necessarily mean eligible Iowans could obtain the shots that day, however.
Vaccine eligibility does not mean immediate vaccination
Reynolds does not expect significant changes to the state's role in finding appointments. The Iowa Department of Public Health coordinates supply to county health departments, and the state has been using its 211 phone system to help Iowans 65 or older set appointments. It also has a website that helps people identify nearby providers offering the vaccine. Otherwise, Iowans navigate a patchwork of clinics, health departments and retail pharmacies to find appointments, which can be quickly snapped up.
"It's still a supply issue," Reynolds said. "We're getting the vaccine out. I think the numbers are really reflective of, whatever comes in, we're getting it out."
The governor said Wednesday she supports Iowans who have used their free time to develop and launch online tools to help others find open appointments.
Kelly Garcia, the health department's interim director, said after the news conference that fluctuating vaccine supply prevents providers from scheduling appointments further out than about a week.
Iowa recently surpassed 1 million doses of vaccine administered. More than 31% of Iowa adults had received at least one dose by Wednesday, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. More than 380,000 Iowans have received both doses of the two-shot vaccines and nearly 30,000 more have received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Vaccinations began in mid-December, focusing on health-care workers and nursing home residents and staff. In February, the state opened eligibility to people 65 or older and to workers in certain professions, including school staffers. Iowa this month opened vaccine eligibility to all Iowans ages 16-64 with other health conditions that make them at higher risk for severe cases of COVID-19, including obesity, smoking, high blood pressure and pregnancy.
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Meanwhile, the number of positive tests for the coronavirus and Iowans hospitalized with COVID-19 continue to decline and are at rates not seen since last July.
Nursing homes near zero outbreaks
Reynolds made the latest vaccination eligibility announcement at a news conference Wednesday, as the state bears down on another milestone in pandemic recovery: Only one nursing home is in an outbreak.
At the pandemic's peak in the winter, about 160 facilities — 37% of all the nursing homes in the state — were classified as having an outbreak, defined as three or more residents testing positive for the COVID-19 causing coronavirus.
More:'It can spread like wildfire': Iowa nursing homes try to emerge from a brutal year battling COVID-19
Vista Woods Care Center in Ottumwa is the last Iowa nursing home listed with an outbreak. Its administrator, Ron Stursma, said in an interview Wednesday that previously sick residents no longer test positive for the virus, and he expects to leave outbreak status Thursday. Throughout the pandemic, federal inspectors have found zero issues with his facility's infection control practices, highlighting the difficulty of fighting the virus, he said.
"It has been an overwhelming and challenging year for us, at all levels: Staff, residents and families" Stursma said. "There have been times during the outbreaks that have basically brought me to my knees, asking for mercy. The staff, who are heroes, have become family to the residents as visitations were limited."
Reynolds said more than 90% of nursing home residents and about 60% of staff have been vaccinated.
The drop in nursing home outbreaks led federal regulators last week to significantly ease restrictions on public visits to nursing homes — a milestone Reynolds celebrated Wednesday.
"Finally, families can be reunited with their spouses, parents and grandparents in person, and without barriers," Reynolds said. "While we've celebrated some important milestones in our COVID-19 recovery over the last few weeks, I can't think of a single one that's brought more joy than this one."
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COVID-19 swept through dozens of nursing homes, which house some of the most vulnerable Iowans. The 2,223 nursing home residents who died over the past year represent nearly 40% of the total death toll in the state, despite nursing home residents making up less than 1% of the state’s population.
More:'It can spread like wildfire': Iowa nursing homes try to emerge from a brutal year battling COVID-19
The most recent Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows Reynolds’ job approval has fallen 10 percentage points since the summer, from 56% in June to 46% today. Her disapproval rating saw a similar increase, from 36% to 47%, in the poll conducted by Selzer & Co.
When asked specifically about her response to the pandemic: 51% percent disapprove, the highest percentage since the start of the pandemic; 47% approve; and 3% are unsure.
Nick Coltrain is a politics and data reporter for the Register. Reach him at ncoltrain@registermedia.com or at 515-284-8361.