What is your obsession with NJ? You don't live here, right?
Why won't you identify the state you live in? Are you in the witness protection program?
Fair is fair. Let me take some potshots at your state.
Not sure why you threw out a "demand" figure of 150-200 million. The actual number of +65s, etc. is way, way below that. No state currently is opening up vaccinations to everyone under age 65. The current demand is no more than tens of millions of people (double, of course, for shots).
All I know is that the prior administration did not do everything it could to manufacture as much supply as humanly possible starting last summer. They didn't invoke the DPA, they didn't strike enough mega-deals, they didn't crack the whip on manufacturers to go 24/7, expand/add facilities six to eight months ago. That is really beyond dispute at this point as I and others have demonstrated on this forum. If you prefer, wait to see what the Covid Commission report says. I know where I'll put my money.
Lack of supply is a nation-wide problem. Look at yesterday's WaPo article. Maybe some states aren't yet fully up to speed in administering vaccinations, but it seems many are. Look at reports out of NY.
I'm focusing on NJ because I live here and hope to get vaccinated here. Plus I have lots of friends and family here whom I'd like to see get vaccinated ASAP.
I don't know where you get your numbers on daily doses delivered (you attached a link Friday (I think) that shows total delivered but I don't see anything that breaks that down by day). But what you say seems to be contradicted by the governor. Today, in a national TV interview he said 100,000+ (didn't quantify the "plus") per week (let's say 165,000 based on six weeks (NJ first doses were on Dec. 15) and 989,000 total per your site). Murphy specifically said we could use (by that I'm sure he means administer) two to three times that.
Even if NJ got 200,000 doses per week, that is still fewer than NJ is currently putting into arms (about 250,000). BTW, are you aware that the six mega sites have only been open a little more than one week? Administration capability is dramatically higher now than it was even two weeks ago.
Also, you understand that at the pace of administration last week (about 250,000) 450,000 doses is less than a two week supply? Not sure why you keep ignoring the point that you don't want to zero out everyday, and that you need to have a bit of supply on hand. You must have never worked in retail.
Murphy's complaints today aren't new. He has been complaining about lack of supply in NJ since last month.
https://patch.com/new-jersey/lacey/gov- ... -apologize
I am by no means a Murphy apologist in terms of his handling of Covid. He's done some good things, but a lot of bad things as well. But in terms of administering vaccines, so far I think he's done a decent job with the hand he has been dealt. Believe me, if I thought he was dropping the ball, I would be the first (even before you) to criticize him because it affects me personally. But he isn't.
If by "cohorts" you mean those eligible to be vaccinated, I would agree that the states have been too aggressive in expanding groupings. And that is counter to my own interest because I am being benefited by NJ's expanding to 65s. But NJ doesn't have sufficient supply to administer to the 65s right now. That's obvious as demonstrated by the chaotic appointment situation. They should have started, say, with 80s, then 75s, then 70s before going to 65s. This is probably the biggest current problem nationwide: not enough supply to meet +65 demand. But the lack of supply is the fault of T****.
Mega sites are good, but the best delivery system is local drug stores. Local doctors' offices would be great, too, but that seems a bridge too far at this point. But drug stores have a built in delivery system of their own. Get chunks of doses to, say, CVS, then let CVS distribute to each of their stores. A complication here is that that would only work for Moderna since local stores don't have the super freezers. In NJ we are not getting enough supply to deliver to drug stores. That's a simple fact which is a major road block.
Second shot appointments are a major, major concern in NJ. Article in one of the local papers today that someone who got his first shot at one of the mega sites was simply told to go out and register for the second one on his own. Yeah, right. Try and get an appointment, even within the newly expanded window. I am going to go over to my mega site this week and try to find out the specifics of getting appointments for second shots. (I know, sounds greedy, when many haven't gotten their first appointment.) Maybe they will blow me off, but I'm gonna try.