Image: Indian Health Service

The Indian Health Service has updated its coronavirus data, showing COVID-19 vaccination distribution and administration as of October 18, 2021.

According to the data, the IHS has distributed 2,156,125 COVID-19 vaccine doses across 11 areas of Indian Country. Of that amount, 1,688,049 have been administered, representing 78.3 percent of the total.

The number of vaccines distributed by the IHS increased by nearly 1.4 percent, according to a comparison of data from October 11. Meanwhile, the number of vaccines administered grew by 0.8 percent, indicating a slowdown in the rollout when compared to the week prior.

The Oklahoma City Area, where COVID-19 cases have increased considerably since the availability of the vaccine, continues to account for the most vaccines received (546,590) and administered (430,945). The Navajo Area, where the pandemic has exacted a disproportionate toll since the spring of 2020, comes in second (312,285 distributed, 274,808 administered) while the California Area comes in third (256,045 distributed, 173,100 administered).

In all three areas, the number of doses administered, as well as the number of doses distributed, increased from the week prior. The three regions account for the largest number of IHS users, with the Phoenix Area also accounting for a large number (226,470 distributed, 180,451 administered). The Phoenix Area has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 as well.

American Indian and Alaska Native people are at higher risk of severe illness from #COVID19. Learn how CDC, the Hopi Tribe, and other partners are helping slow the spread of COVID-19: https://t.co/Ryp7vu5lbi. #HealthEquity pic.twitter.com/txoegGCscS

— CDC (@CDCgov) October 18, 2021

According to the IHS, vaccination distribution and administration will be updated weekly across the 11 areas that are receiving doses directly from the agency.

Tribal health facilities in Alaska have chosen to receive their COVID-19 vaccine supplies from the state, so their region is not included in the data.

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution and Administration by IHS Area

As of October 18, 2021, the IHS is distributing all three COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized or approved in the U.S, including Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Janssen/Johnson & Johnson. The table below shows the total number of vaccine doses distributed and administered to date, per IHS Area, for facilities that chose to receive vaccine through the IHS jurisdiction. The data includes COVID-19 vaccinations administered to all ages and specialty groups authorized for emergency use or fully licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The IHS administration rate is 78 percent. The Albuquerque Area has a greater than 100 percent administration rate, which may be due to vaccine overfill in the vials for both Pfizer and Moderna products.The IHS jurisdiction is administering all available full doses in accordance with FDA guidance.

*Distributed Data Source: IHS National Supply Service Center, includes total doses ordered and delivered by October 15, 2021, to facilities that chose the IHS jurisdiction for vaccine distribution.

**Administered Data Source: Data is reported from the Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS) and IHS Central Aggregator Service (CAS). Data may be different than data on the CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker due to lags and ongoing quality review of data, including resolving data errors.

Note:The COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution and Administration by IHS Area data is only reflective of facilities that chose the IHS jurisdiction for vaccine distribution. Alaska Area data is not reported as all tribes chose to receive COVID-19 vaccine from the State of Alaska. The Tucson Area data only includes one tribe that chose the IHS jurisdiction for vaccine distribution.

Source: Indian Health Service (https://www.ihs.gov/coronavirus)