Blue Shield of California will create an algorithm to determine where to allocate COVID-19 vaccines statewide with the goal of being able to administer 3 million shots a week by March 1, according to a contract made public Monday that grants the insurance giant far-reaching powers in overseeing the state’s distribution of doses.
The company will attempt to drastically scale up the number of daily doses, but that goal will largely depend on the supply sent to the state. California received a little more than 1 million vaccine doses in the last week from the federal government.
Blue Shield, which wields considerable influence in state politics, will immediately work to centralize the state’s COVID-19 vaccination program after a sluggish start due to a lack of available doses, complex regulations dictating which Californians should be prioritized, and data reporting issues.
The contract says Blue Shield’s algorithm will prioritize vaccine distribution with “a focus on equity” throughout the state and will be updated based on vaccine availability and COVID-19 rates. Few other details about the algorithm were available Monday.
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