Federal changes to COVID-19 vaccine distribution could soon boost the amount of doses Oklahoma receives on a weekly basis.

Oklahoma is slated to receive 48,475 doses next week, but that number could double as soon as the following week when the federal government starts shipping first and second doses to states simultaneously.

Like other states, demand for COVID-19 vaccines in Oklahoma currently exceeds the state’s weekly supply, leaving some residents impatient and frustrated as they desperately try to track down shots.

The Trump administration on Tuesday announced the federal government will begin releasing all available vaccines, instead of holding back doses for scheduled second shots. The change comes after President-elect Joe Biden indicated he would change vaccine distribution upon taking office.

Federal officials had been holding onto second vaccine doses to ensure people got both shots in the two-dose regimen, but say that increased vaccine manufacturing will ensure Americans receive both shots.

“This updated plan means vaccine doses will be available at a level that they haven’t been so far,” said Keith Reed, Oklahoma’s deputy commissioner of health.

Increased supply means county health departments could hold more mass vaccination clinics and the state could spread doses across more distributors. With 1,367 pandemic partners signed up to distribute vaccines, the state could soon start directing doses to primary care doctors, pharmacies and community health centers, Reed said.

In two weeks, the federal government also plans to change vaccine allocation to be based on how quickly states are administering doses. In other words, states that are administering vaccines quickly could start receiving more doses.

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranked Oklahoma 10th for vaccine administration per capita.

Reed said the state is committed to ensuring that Oklahomans receive their second shot as close to the appointed time as possible. The COVID-19 shots from Pfizer and Moderna are administered 21 and 28 days apart, respectively.

“Our future allocations are going to be based off our ... ability to move vaccine from the freezer to the individual,” he said. “We have been assured that if we are moving vaccine in that manner, that they will continue to resupply us at a rate that will meet our needs for second shots.”

Some of the state’s vaccines have gone to waste, Reed said. Although he did not specify how many doses or the specific circumstances, he said the problem centered on single doses and was not a widespread issue.

Oklahoma has administered 182,267 COVID-19 doses. Many people have registered to sign up for vaccinations using the state’s website, vaccinate.oklahoma. gov. Nearly 400,000 residents have registered through the site.

So far, only 30,560 people have been able to make appointments using the website, which is due more to the lack of vaccines than the website itself. New appointment slots are added to the website on Wednesdays and Thursdays, state health officials said. For questions about the website, call 2-1-1. Representatives can answer questions about the portal and help walk people through the registration process. Wait times for help are around 15 minutes.

When vaccines are distributed to pharmacies and primary care doctors, it’s likely those entities will use other methods to schedule shots.