AZ Family: One Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Have Now Been Administered In Arizona

Gov. Doug Ducey announced Wednesday that Arizona has administered one million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

He thanked all the frontline workers and volunteers who made it possible to hit this mark. “We’ve reached a major milestone with our one millionth dose,” said Gov. Ducey. “The dedication and hard work of many made this accomplishment possible. Nurses, doctors, health technicians, support staff, volunteers — to each and every one of you, thank you."

But the governor says there is more work to be done. “Arizonans are eager to get the vaccine, and we’re committed to distributing it safely and efficiently," he said. "We will continue to work with our private and public partners to quickly distribute the vaccine, and with the federal government to secure the doses we need to protect Arizona.”

So who got that "one millionth" vaccination? Ducey says that due to the large number of vaccines administered every day, that cant be determined.

ADHS Director Dr. Cara Christ says administering a million doses of the vaccine in less than two months is a testament to all the partnerships that have come together to fight COVID-19. “At the Arizona Department of Health Services, we’re working to administer the vaccine quickly,” said Dr. Christ. “We are thrilled to reach one million doses administered, and we will continue to get Arizonans vaccinated so we can protect our vulnerable populations. Thank you to all of our partners who are working tirelessly to get the vaccine into Arizonans’ arms.”

The following states have comparable populations and have the following approximate vaccination numbers:

Washington: 942,000
Massachusetts: 910,000
Tennessee: 876,000

VACCINE TIMELINE

Dec. 14, 2020 - Arizona received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine. That same week, distribution of the vaccine began in the state’s largest population centers, Maricopa and Pima Counties.
Dec. 30, 2020 - Governor Ducey issued an Executive Order to rapidly expand access to the COVID-19 vaccine by streamlining distribution throughout Arizona and establishing additional vaccination sites.
January 11, 2021 - Arizona opened a state-run vaccination site at the State Farm Stadium that operates 24/7. The site has administered 186,489 since opening.
Jan. 26, 2021 - the Governor issued an Executive Order to accelerate the statewide distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine and move doses of vaccine to where they can be rapidly administered to Arizonans.
Feb. 1, 2021 - the state opened another site at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The site has administered 17,572 to date.

Earlier this month, Gov. Ducey sent a letter to members of Arizona’s congressional delegation to request help in meeting the urgent need for additional supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine and secure funding for its distribution.

The State of Arizona recently requested an additional 300,000 doses of the life-saving vaccine, and an additional 300,000 doses a week. Ducey's office says the request was denied.

This week, Governor Ducey and ADHS announced a partnership with the University of Arizona and the Pima County Health Department to operate a state vaccination site on the university’s mall area on central Tucson campus.