States rush to catch up on delayed vaccines, expand access

HOUSTON (AP) — States are scrambling to catch up on coronavirus vaccinations after bad weather last week led to clinic closures and shipment backlogs. But they're also gearing up to administer even more shots as the supply increases. A limited supply of the two approved COVID-19 vaccines hampered the pace of vaccinations even before extreme weather delayed the delivery of about 6 million doses. But White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that states can expect about 14.5 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine this week, an almost 70% increase in distribution over the past month. The stepped-up efforts come as the U.S. COVID-19 death toll surpassed 500,000.