Katherine Davis-Young/KJZZ
A healthcare worker administering the 2021 coronavirus vaccine.
This week, the Mohave County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to stop accepting state funds associated with the CDC's Bridge Access Program to pay for coronavirus vaccinations.
The program reimburses states for vaccinations given to uninsured residents. The contract ends on June 30th.
Mohave County Supervisor Ron Gould voted against the extension, saying people enrolled in Medicare and Arizona's Medicaid programs may still be eligible.
“The reality is that it's not so much a matter of people being too poor to afford the vaccine. I think people in the middle class are choosing not to have insurance. I think it means that,” Gould said.
Mohave County Health Director Chad Kingsley said the deal primarily helped rural residents.
“We're doing this for people in rural areas who don't have access to a CVS or a Walgreens and want that opportunity,” Kingsley said.
Mohave County Supervisor Buster Johnson said the CDC groups the coronavirus vaccine with other vaccines, and refusing the extension means the county will be left with administering other vaccines as well.
