(Des Moines, IA) -- Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds says the state is still on track to open COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all Iowans 16 and over, next week. She says demand will far exceed supply, but the allocations are increasing signficantly.
Reynolds says next week Iowa will receive 160-thousand doses, including 121-thousand for the state to distribute and 41-thousand for the federal retail pharmacy program. She says the state is starting to get more of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which has been mainly used for large employers, including those in food processing and manufacturing. She says efforts to vaccinate employees in those settings is expected to be complete by the end of next week.
The governor is also addressing a recent rise in COVID positivity in Iowa. It had been around 4% for a couple of weeks but is now at 5%. Reynolds says hospitalizations remain lower than the peak of November and December. Kelly Garcia, the Iowa Department of Public Health Interim Director, says the increase is due to spring break travel and more cases of highly contagious variants of the virus. Garcia says adults 18-29 continue to lead all age groups when it comes to positivity.
The state is launching college campus vaccination efforts. Starting next week, doses will go to Dordt and Northwestern Colleges, Des Moines Area Community College, and the University of Iowa. Additional colleges and universities are expected to be added as well.
Governor Reynolds is asking Iowans to get a COVID-19 vaccination as soon as they are able to do so.
President Joe Biden has estimated that 75% of Americans could be vaccinated by mid-May. Governor Reynolds says based on the current allocations, she's tempering that expectation for Iowa, estimating most Iowans could be vaccinated by early July.