Baker and several other governors asking federal officials: “Where are the vaccines?”

BOSTON — President-elect Biden and President Trump have both agreed to unleash all of the federal government’s vaccinations to the states instead of reserving some for the second dose. But now, state governors are wondering if those were empty promises after hearing the stockpile is already exhausted.

“We’re sort of working in a one week window into what happens as we get info Tuesday, what we’re going to get the final following week,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “The basic message from the federal government has been ‘We don’t think you get any less,’ but there really hasn’t been anything about it any more.”

Baker is not the only one confused. Oregon’s Governor tweeted she received disturbing news from General Perna of Operation Warp Speed: that States will not be receiving increased shipments of vaccines from the national stockpile next week, because there is no federal reserve of doses.

Wisconsin’s Gov. Tony Evers also added, “How in the world? I mean, it just boggles the mind. It was a slap in the face ... and frankly, I have no idea why they made that claim when they knew it wasn’t accurate.”

Colorado’s Gov. Jared Polis added that he’s “Extremely disappointed that we were lied to. They anticipate that every second dose will be delivered, but it will be delivered in the future off of the supply chain. So there is no influence of doses contrary to a call we had with the Vice President, the secretary of health three days ago.”

In Massachusetts, the next portion of phase one is set to begin next week, with vaccinations starting in congregate care settings like shelters, group homes, and correctional facilities. The state’s first large-scale vaccination site, Gillette Stadium, is slated to open to first responders on Monday.

Baker says he anticipates there will be four or five vaccination sites like that set up around the state by the end of the month. Combine that with pharmacies, and other health centers, the governor says we’ll start to have the type of infrastructure we need to vaccinate thousands daily, but he needs that seamless communication President-elect Biden referred to in his vaccine rollout plan.

The plan at Gillette Stadium is to begin vaccinating about 300 people daily to help us get through Phase 1. However, Baker says without clarity from the feds, all of this planning is impossible.

“660,000 people in Phase 1 and we’ve only received roughly 400,000 vaccine shots,” said Baker. “To begin with those 660,000 all need to get vaccinated twice. They need to get those twice to be vaccinated. You do the math. That’s 1.3 million vaccines shots, excuse me, doses to actually fully vaccinate phase one which is supposed to end sometime in early February.”

Baker today also reiterated what we reported to you earlier this week, that the state is not holding on to any vaccinations, but allocating them as soon as it receives them.

Baker said he was told vaccine production would ramp up around now and the states would see more vaccines, but now he says, at least for the moment, he assumes we will get less.

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