More Than 5 Million Americans Missed Second Vaccine Dose

Nearly eight percent of the people who received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose — roughly 5 million Americans — didn't return for the second shot, according to a New York Times report. The report cites the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which only included people who got their first Moderna dose by March 7 or first Pfizer dose by March 14. Each of these vaccines requires two doses spread several weeks apart. The Times quotes some people who said their pharmacies messed up their second dose appointments, as well as public health officials and experts who expressed concerns about the vaccine follow-through rate. The Times also goes on to call the 92% follow-through rate "strong by historical standards." The news was covered across the spectrum, but rarely featured prominently by news outlets regardless of bias. Some coverage from right-rated outlets framed the news as indicative of the need for effective one-shot vaccines. Some reports, often from local outlets, contrasted high vaccine follow-through rates in their area with the national average mentioned earlier. Other recent coverage has focused on two recent studies, from the Penn Institute of Immunology and the New England Journal of Medicine, which suggest that people who already had COVID-19 might not need the second dose.