Millions Of Coronavirus Vaccines Tossed Out By U.S.

ACROSS AMERICA — With about 57 percent of Americans having been vaccinated against the coronavirus, millions of unused vaccine doses are going to waste here while other countries scramble to secure shipments of shots.

About 40 million vaccine doses are currently available in the United States, according to The Associated Press. The Guardian reported at least 15 million coronavirus vaccine doses were wasted in the U.S. between March and September. The outlet reported that in Wisconsin, "thousands" of doses are wasted every day while, in Tennessee, almost 200,000 doses have gone to waste. In Alabama, more than 65,000 have been wasted.

U.S. health authorities across the country say there are plenty of vaccines to go around, according to the AP.

“I hope that we have the level of interest in the booster ... that we need more vaccines,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said Tuesday. “That’s simply not where we are today. We have plenty of vaccines.”

The strong supply led President Joe Biden to announce that 500 million of Pfizer's vaccines will be sent to countries outside the United States. Biden last week also asked big companies to mandate vaccines, which would mean some 80 million workers would be required to get a shot.

“Even after all of these efforts, we still have more than a quarter of the people in the United States who are eligible for vaccinations but didn’t get the shot,” Biden said last week in Chicago. “That’s why I’ve had to move toward requirements.”

The COVID-19-related death of former Secretary of State Colin Powell, announced by his family Monday, illustrated the stark reality that even the vaccinated can succumb to the virus, as Powell's family said he was fully vaccinated.