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- US states are scaling down their vaccine allotments as demand for shots plummets across the country.
- Wisconsin, Iowa, and Washington state are just some of the states reducing their vaccine orders.
- US vaccination rates have dropped from more than three million to two million shots per day.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
States across the US are refusing their full allocations of COVID-19 vaccine doses from the federal government as demand for shots declines.
More than 152 million Americans (46%) have received at least one vaccine dose and over 114 million (34%) are fully vaccinated, according to latest data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced his goal of getting 70% of adults in the US at least partially vaccinated by July 4. Health experts say this is the percentage needed to achieve herd immunity.
But the pace of vaccination has slowed. Vaccination rates in the US have dropped from over three million per day to two million shots a day.
As a result, states are requesting the White House to send them fewer doses than what has been allocated to them, the Associated Press first reported.
Experts told the AP and The New York Times on Saturday that this highlighted the issue of vaccine hesitancy in America.
Maryland, Colorado, and New York City are still ordering their full amount, the AP said.
Wisconsin
Officials of Wisconsin have asked the federal government for just 8% of the 162,680 doses which were set aside for the state next week, the AP reported.
Julie Willems Van Dijk, the state health department's deputy secretary, told the publication that vaccine demand is slowing down. Vaccination sites in Wisconsin are also closing down, Insider reported April 22.
So far, 44% of the population in Wisconsin has been given at least one shot of the vaccine, according to Bloomberg's state-by-state vaccine tracker.
Kansas
In the past week, Kansas officials have requested less than 9% of the usual 162,000-dose allotment, the AP reported. The state now has about 647,000 doses stockpiled as counties have been turning down deliveries of doses.
Nearly 38% of Kansas' population is partially vaccinated.
Illinois
State officials are planning to cut its vaccine allotment to just 9%, the AP reported.
Melaney Arnold, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health, told the AP that Illinois has five weeks' worth of doses stockpiled.
Last week, Illinois officials requested fewer doses than usual for the first time due to low demand.
More than 41% of the state's population has received at least one shot.
Connecticut
In Connecticut, officials have scaled back the state's usual allotment next week by 26%, according to the AP, while more than 50% of the population has been partially vaccinated.
North Carolina
The AP also reported that North Carolina has cut its request for vaccines by 40% in the past week. Insider reported that officials were closing down vaccination sites in the state due to a drop in vaccine uptake.
Almost 37% of the state has had at least one shot of the vaccine.
South Carolina
South Carolina, where 34% of the population has been partially vaccinated, intends to order 21% of the amount of its vaccine allotment, the AP said.
Washington
Washington state also reduced its order by 40% this week, the AP said. This was the first time the state has ordered less vaccines than its allocation. 43% of Washington's population has had at least one vaccine dose.
Iowa
In Iowa, officials have requested for 29% of the state's allocated doses next week, according to the AP.
Iowa rejected nearly 22,000 vaccine doses from the federal government in April, state officials confirmed to the Des Moines Register. Overall, they turned away 18,300 Moderna doses and some 3,510 Pfizer doses.
"Along with several other states, we are seeing a slowdown of vaccine administration, but we are working with our local partners and community leaders to determine where additional education is needed and to gain an understanding of the needs of each county's unique population," Sarah Ekstrand, a spokesperson for the state health department, told the Des Moines Register.
More than 42% of Iowa's population have been partially vaccinated.