Stephen Gruber-Miller|Des Moines Register
Iowans could see mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinics at Iowa Cubs games, farmers markets and other popular hangouts this summer, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday.
"We’re just looking for unique ways that we can go to where Iowans are gathering and have a mobile clinic there," Reynolds told reporters at the Iowa Capitol."And they’ll be able to receive a vaccine, but it’s also an opportunity to be educated, get some information, if they have any questions. It will just be an all of the above resource."
Reynolds said her team is working with local public health departments, nonprofits, chambers of commerce and other groupsto findways to reach Iowans who haven't yet decided to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, as the rush to sign up for the shots has slowed.
"We're going to be anywhere and everywhere," she said.
80 of 99 counties decline vaccine doses
Sarah Ekstrand, a spokesperson for the state health department, said Tuesday that 80 of Iowa's 99 counties "declined some or all of their doses for the week of May 3." That's up from 43 counties that declined some or all of their weekly allocations from the state for the week of April 26.
"Because a significant portion of the eligible population has been vaccinated and demand is decreasing, it's reasonable that the pace of administration may be slower in some areas," Ekstrand wrote in an email.
Ekstrand said Wednesday that 52 counties declined their full vaccine allocations from the state for the upcoming week.
The softening demand for the vaccine in Iowa ledstate officials declined 21,000 vaccine doses for the current week from the federal government.
More: Iowa asks feds to withhold nearly 21,000 doses of COVID vaccine, as demand for the shots ebbs
That does not mean there aren't any vaccine dosesin the counties that declined some or all of their allocated doses from the state. The vaccine supply managed by the state is separate from vaccine supply shipped directly to drugstores through the federal retail pharmacy partnership program, meaning local Walmarts or Hy-Vees may have supplies.
On Wednesday, Hy-Vee announced that it would no longer require appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations at any of its pharmacies in Iowa and seven other states.
More: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds appeals to unvaccinated Iowans: 'What are you waiting for?'
1 million Iowans fully vaccinated
More than 1 million Iowans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, either with two shots of the vaccines produced by Moderna or Pfizer or withthe single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Another almost 340,000 Iowans have received the first round of the two-dose vaccines.
All told, almost 56% of the state's adultpopulation has received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is slightly ahead of the national rate of 54.2%.
Reynolds said Wednesday that she's set a goal of vaccinating 65% of Iowa adults by the end of May and 75% by the end of June.
"Those are kind of some metrics, benchmarks that we’re putting in place and we’re going to continue to do everything we can to drive those numbers," she said.
Iowa Public Health Department interim Director Kelly Garcia said this month that 70% vaccination rates are a "gold standard" but one most vaccination campaigns rarely reach.
Reynolds said Wednesday the state's COVID-19 vaccination rate compares favorably to the roughly 40% of Iowans who receive a flu shot every year. The flu shot numberalso includes children younger than 16, who are not yet eligible for COVID-19 shots.
Last week, Reynolds again implored unvaccinated Iowans to be vaccinated. She asked Iowa National Guard Adjutant Gen. Ben Corell to share his story of COVID-19 hospitalization and vaccination at her weekly news conference. Later that week, she sent Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg tobe publicly vaccinated at a clinic in Sioux City, alongside former Hawkeye football star Dallas Clark.
Des Moines Register reporter Nick Coltrain contributed to this story.
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.
