Senator Hawkins Shares Vaccination Process Outlook

School employees have been moved to Phase 1B2 of the state vaccine schedule, after 12th District Senator Hawkins, along with colleagues, sought to expand educator vaccine access. All teachers regardless of age are now eligible for the vaccine, however the vaccine supply is constrained.

"We've been doing a good job getting folks vaccinated locally, but I am concerned that there's too much bureaucracy in the process," said Senator Hawkins.

The vaccine distribution starts at the federal government level then passed off to the state government and then flows into local areas to administer.

"My preference would be that the governor allow the local health districts and the local health care practitioners to partner with their local elected officials to develop their own regional vaccine distribution plans," said Hawkins.

Hawkins noted if the governor and state Department of Health would allocate vaccine doses to local districts proportionate to population, the doses could get into people's arms.

"We've done a good job locally, but statewide there are many COVID-19 vaccines that have been allocated and gone un-administered," said Hawkins. "And that is a big problem."