Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
California Says It Will Give Out Shots Based On Age, Not Occupation
Los Angeles Times: California Will Prioritize COVID-19 Vaccine By Age, Not Occupation, In Next Rounds
In a significant reshuffling of vaccine eligibility guidelines, California officials said Monday they will be shifting who is prioritized in the next round of COVID-19 inoculations to focus on age rather than specific occupations considered higher risk. The modifications announced Monday by Gov. Gavin Newsom leave unchanged the current priority list, which focuses on healthcare workers and residents 65 and older before expanding to teachers, farmworkers and first responders. (Shalby and Gutierrez, 1/25)
Charlotte Observer: NC Running Low On COVID Vaccine Supply. What Group Are You In?
The Orange County Health Department said Monday it has used the last of its first doses of COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday and doesn’t know when it will receive more. “Until the vaccine supply is significantly increased, it will be weeks or perhaps months until we can complete vaccinations for (Groups) One and Two, said Orange County Health Director Quintana Stewart in a news release. (Wagner, 1/25)
Oklahoman: Citing Slow Vaccine Rollout, Oklahoma Pauses Distribution To CVS, Walgreens
Oklahoma health officials have stopped sending a portion of the state’s COVID-19 vaccines to pharmacies contracted to administer doses to some of the state’s most vulnerable residents. Keith Reed, Oklahoma’s deputy commissioner of health, said this is a temporary pause in vaccine allocations to allow CVS Health and Walgreens to catch up on the doses set aside for residents and staff in long-term care facilities. In a legislative budget hearing last week, state health officials blasted the pharmacy chains for the pace at which long-term care residents have been vaccinated as Oklahoma lawmakers questioned why the vaccine rollout to vulnerable communities is taking longer than expected. (Forman, 1/25)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Sisolak Asks Feds Why Nevada Is Near Bottom In Vaccine Allocation
Gov. Steve Sisolak has asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to probe why Nevada is near the bottom of the list for the amount of COVID-19 vaccine distributed to states per capita. “We need our fair share of vaccine doses to stand up and sustain successful vaccination efforts to reach Nevadans in an equitable fashion,” Sisolak wrote in a letter dated Sunday to acting Health and Human Services Secretary Norris Cochran. The governor asked the department to not only look into the amount distributed to the state but to “find ways to increase our allocation both immediately and for the long term,” a call echoed Monday by local and federal officials. (Hynes, 1/25)
Several states are coping with other distribution problems, as well —
KRQE News 13: Some New Mexicans Receiving Bills For COVID-19 Vaccine Despite Being Free For The Public
Some New Mexicans got a surprise in the mail this week when they received a bill for the COVID-19 vaccine. The CARES Act ensures the vaccine is free, regardless of your insurance status, but some say they were still billed. When Kim Federici received her vaccination appointment notice two weeks ago from the New Mexico Department of Health, she was assigned to Optum Health’s Journal Center clinic. This weekend, she was shocked to get a bill in the mail for $34, charging her for the administration of the vaccine. (Seymore, 1/25)
The Baltimore Sun: Red Flag Raised About Race Disparity In Maryland’s Early Coronavirus Vaccine Rollout Data
As Maryland health officials scramble to meet growing demand for the coronavirus vaccine, a red flag is emerging: Minorities, who’ve been hit hardest by the disease, have received shots at disproportionately low rates. While observers caution it’s too early to draw conclusions about racial disparities in vaccine administration, the preliminary data has some health experts and lawmakers in Maryland concerned that the vaccination campaign isn’t effectively reaching the populations the virus has harmed most. (Mann, Miller and Cohn, 1/25)
Philadelphia Inquirer: New Jersey Launched A Vaccine Hotline. Four Hours Later, 58,000 Calls Had Flooded In
More than 17,000 calls came in to New Jersey’s COVID-19 vaccine hotline in the first hour it was open on Monday. By noon, that number had increased by 41,000, illustrating the public’s pent-up demand for information about the shots everyone wants but relatively few can get. Thousands in the state who don’t have computer access or have questions about the vaccination process may be able to more easily access information, but getting an appointment remains difficult. New Jersey is still receiving about 100,000 doses each week, allocated by the federal government, health officials said Monday. (McDaniel, Steele and McCarthy, 1/25)
