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Arizona's Pfizer Vaccine Allocation Expected To Be Reduced Next Week

Like  other states, Arizona next week could be getting a smaller shipment of Pfizer vaccines than what was originally expected.

Dr. Cara Christ, director of Arizona’s Department of Health Services, said in a news conference Friday the state had expected to get about 70,000 doses of the vaccine next week. Now, the allocation is expected to be only about 42,000.

“We’ve reached out to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to get additional information, but we have not been given confirmation of the decrease or a reason for the decreased number of doses,” Christ said. 

Christ said she also doesn’t know if the difference will be made up in future shipments of the Pfizer vaccine. But she said she does expect the state will start receiving allocations of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine starting next week, pending emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.

The state's first shipments of Pfizer vaccines  arrived this week. About 58,500 doses were sent to Maricopa and Pima Counties. Arizona expects about to receive about 161,000 doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines the week of Dec. 20. Those will be distributed to all 15 counties. 

Katherine Davis-Young is a senior field correspondent reporting on a variety of issues, including public health and climate change.