Nevada still ranks near the bottom for COVID vaccine allotment

Nevada health officials are still awaiting answers about why the state has one of the nation’s lowest COVID-19 vaccine allocations from the federal government.

As of this week, the state remained ranked among the bottom 10 states in terms of vaccine allocation per capita. It had received about 21,070 first doses per 100,000 adult residents.

Since late January, the state has sought the formula that federal officials use to determine how many more vaccine doses each state can order each week. It has yet to be provided, Nevada COVID-19 response director Caleb Cage said during a news briefing Monday.

“We still believe that there’s still plenty of room to continue to pursue this question with our federal partners to determine exactly why and how Nevada is ending up where we are on the list,” he said.

Federal officials have said each state’s allocation is proportional to its adult population from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 population estimates, Cage said.

However, vaccine allocation data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Nevada has been allocated doses at a rate significantly lower than most other states. This week, the state was allocated about 180 fewer doses per 100,000 adult residents than the high-ranking state of Vermont.

A Review-Journal analysis in January looking at the state’s adult population over the past three years indicated Nevada was allocated doses at a rate significantly less than most other states. Using 2020 population estimates, for example, Nevada was receiving about 2,000 doses less per 100,000 adult residents than the high-ranking state of Vermont.

Cage said state officials and Nevada’s congressional delegation “are regularly reaching out through federal channels to continue to push the issue.”

Contact Michael Scott Davidson at sdavidson@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861. Follow @davidsonlvrj on Twitter.