Governor Doug Ducey issued an Executive Order today to rapidly expand access to the COVID-19 vaccine by streamlining distribution throughout Arizona and establishing additional vaccination sites.
Rather than each county having their own implementation plans, the order directs the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) to implement a state-directed allocation model to ensure a uniform approach to the vaccination of high-risk and high-priority Arizonans.
“Across the country, news of delays in distributing the COVID-19 vaccine are being reported,” said Governor Ducey. “While Arizona has avoided many of these issues, any delay in shots being given to Arizonans is unacceptable. The development of the vaccine was called Operation Warp Speed, and the distribution of the vaccine should follow that same sense of urgency.
“Today, I’m issuing an Executive Order that requires the Department of Health Services to proceed at the same speed to increase access and ensure rapid distribution. Any delay in the vaccine getting to Arizonans, any dose that sits in a freezer rather than reaching the arm of a health care worker or long-term care resident, carries too great a cost. This is a health emergency, and we need all levels of government and our health system operating as such. Vaccines don’t do any good sitting in a freezer.”
Additionally, the Governor announced that the state will be reporting daily on county-by-county vaccine administration data, providing full transparency for the public on the distribution of the vaccine across the state. Local health departments must also provide notice to ADHS within 24 hours of proceeding to the next phase of vaccine distribution. This will ensure that Arizonans have quick access to information to make informed decisions about their health and the health of their loved ones.
For more information on the state’s response to COVID-19, visit: azhealth.gov/covid19.
To view the Executive Order, click HERE.
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