Over the last several days, reports have circulated that show Alabama ranked last in the country in vaccine distribution according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The data show the state has administered less than 100,600 of the 444,640 doses distributed.

However, that is not accurate, according to State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris.

During an appearance on APTV’s “Capitol Journal,” Harris disputed the claim and maintained the lackluster numbers were a result of CDC having not properly received vaccine data.

“The numbers that are reported on the CDC website are not correct,” he said. “We understand there is an issue with the way the CDC is receiving some of our data. A lot of those numbers are from the long-term care pharmacy program that’s operated by CVS and Walgreen’s. At the same time, I would acknowledge we would like to be giving doses out faster than we are.  We could certainly be doing a better job, and we have a lot of things we’re putting into place to do that. But we are not last in the country. We are not even close to last in the country. We’re kind of middle of the country, and as of Friday, we have transmitted new numbers to CDC. The new numbers do look a lot better on that website, and I think they’ll continue to improve as we improve our data collection.”

Harris also addressed complaints about the hotline designated by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) to schedule appointments being overwhelmed and said while the system will have to be improved, the real issue is the limited number of available vaccines.

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly, and host of Mobile’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on FM Talk 106.5.