COVID-19: Over 6.2 Million Vaccines Have Been Distributed To Indiana. This Is How Many The State Has Actually Given Out

By Evan Comen, 24/7 Wall St. Indianapolis

2021-05-25

It has now been 23 weeks since the first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine were sent out to states, kicking off the largest vaccination campaign in human history. As of May 22, the U.S. has sent 357,250,375 doses of the vaccine across the country — equivalent to 108.8% of the U.S. population.

While the initial distribution of the vaccine took longer than federal projections had indicated, in recent months the U.S. has made great leaps in the worldwide race to administer vaccinations — and some states are faring far better than others. Under the current system, led by the White House COVID-19 Response Team, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sends states limited shipments of the vaccine as well as funding and tasks them with distributing the vaccine in accordance with relatively loose federal guidelines. The distribution of the vaccine is based on the size of the adult population in every state, which — according to some experts — can create inequities in states where the spread of COVID-19 is worse and a larger share of the population is at risk.

Indiana has received a total of 6,232,460 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as of May 22. Adjusted for population, Indiana has received 92,576.6 vaccines per 100,000 residents — less than the national average of 108,838.3 vaccines per 100,000 Americans and the 10th fewest of any state.

While Indiana has so far received fewer vaccines per capita than the nation as a whole, the state has a greater need for vaccines than the rest of the country. As of May 22, there were 10,951.5 confirmed cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents in Indiana — greater than the national rate of 9,964.1 cases per 100,000 Americans and the 16th highest of all 50 states.

While the federal government distributes vaccines to states, it is up to state governments to administer the vaccine — creating variations in both the percentage of vaccines that have been administered and the percentage of the population that has been vaccinated. In Indiana, 79.0% of allocated vaccines have been administered to residents, in line with the national average of 79.5% and the 24th smallest share of all states.

The administered vaccines amount to 73.1% of the state population, lower than the 86.5% national figure and the 11th smallest share of all states.

While a majority of Americans remain unvaccinated due to a lack of supply, there are some who have no plans to receive a vaccine at all. According to a survey from the U.S. Census Bureau, 36.7% of U.S. adults 18 and over who have not yet received the vaccine will either probably not or definitely not get a COVID-19 vaccine in the future. In Indiana, 29.6% of adults who have not yet received the vaccine report that they will probably not or definitely not get a vaccine in the future, the sixth smallest share of any state. The most common reason cited for not wanting a vaccine was being concerned about possible side effects. Other commonly cited reasons include that they were planning to wait and see if it is safe, not trusting COVID-19 vaccines, and not trusting the government.

To determine the states getting the most and least vaccines from the federal government, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. States were ranked based on the number of vaccines administered as of May 22 per 100,000 residents. Vaccine counts were adjusted for population using one-year data from the Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey. Data on confirmed COVID-19 cases as of May 22 came from various state and local health departments and were adjusted for population using 2019 ACS data. Data on the percentage of adults who probably will not or definitely will not get a COVID-19 vaccine and their reasons for not getting one came from the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, conducted from Apr. 14, 2021 to Apr. 28, 2021.

These are all the counties in Indiana where COVID-19 is slowing (and where it’s still getting worse).

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This story was originally published by 24/7 Wall St., a news organization that produces real-time business commentary and data-driven reporting for state and local markets across the country.