Millions of Americans missing second coronavirus vaccine

A growing number of Americans are missing the second dose of their coronavirus vaccines. "More than five million people, or nearly 8 percent of those who got a first shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, have missed their second doses, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is more than double the rate among people who got inoculated in the first several weeks of the nationwide vaccine campaign," Rebecca Robbins reports for The New York Times. "Even as the country wrestles with the problem of millions of people who are wary about getting vaccinated at all, local health authorities are confronting an emerging challenge of ensuring that those who do get inoculated are doing so fully." 

Some who missed their second shot told interviewers that they worried about side effects; some said they thought they were protected enough with just one dose. But sometimes it was a problem with the vaccine provider not getting expected vaccine deliveries, forcing rescheduling of appointments. Rescheduling can be more difficult for those without reliable transportation or whose jobs have strict hours. However, now that vaccination uptake has slowed, most states are accommodating walk-in patients without appointments,