Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
California To Set Aside 40% Of Doses For At-Risk Communities
Los Angeles Times: California Will Reserve 40% Of COVID-19 Vaccine For Disadvantaged Areas To Speed Reopenings
In a major shift in policy, California officials said Wednesday night they will now devote 40% of available COVID-19 vaccines to residents in the most disadvantaged areas in a move designed to both slow the spread of coronavirus and speed up the reopening of the economy. After roughly another 400,000 doses are administered to people who live in California’s hardest hit communities — which could happen within the next two weeks — officials in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration said the state intends to significantly relax the rules for counties to exit the most restrictive tier of California’s coronavirus reopening blueprint. (Lin II and Money, 3/3)
AP: California To Give 40% Of Vaccine Doses To Vulnerable Areas
The doses will be spread out among 400 ZIP codes with about 8 million people eligible for shots. Many of the neighborhoods are concentrated in Los Angeles County and the Central Valley. The areas are considered most vulnerable based on metrics such as household income, education level, housing status and access to transportation. (Ronayne, 3/4)
San Francisco Chronicle: Reports Of Underdosing At Coliseum Vaccine Site Are False, State Officials Say
State officials are pushing back against a TV report that said thousands of people vaccinated at the Oakland Coliseum this week received doses smaller than they should be. Citing two unnamed emergency medical technicians, KTVU reported Wednesday that about 4,300 people who were vaccinated at the Oakland Coliseum before 2 p.m. on Monday “received the wrong vaccine doses” of the Pfizer vaccine because the syringes left some vaccine in the bottom of the container instead of injecting it all. (Williams, Bobrowsky and Ho, 3/3)
In other vaccine rollout updates —
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Low Vaccine Supply In Nevada Tied To Old Population Data
Experts now say there’s a simple reason why Nevada’s COVID-19 vaccine allotment has seemed low for months. Fast-growing states have been disadvantaged due to the federal government’s reliance on old population data. Weekly vaccine allocations are proportional to each state’s estimated adult population recorded in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2014-18 American Community Survey. The 2015-19 estimates show Nevada with a 1.9 percent larger adult population, one of the biggest increases in the nation. (Scott Davidson, 3/3)
NPR: Age-Based Vaccination Rollout In Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont
A number of states are breaking with federal guidelines and starting to vaccinate people by age group, drawing criticism from essential workers and people with underlying conditions who are getting bumped back in line. In Connecticut, officials say they're trying to balance equity with speeding up the pace of vaccinations. Under a new vaccination plan that began on March 1, educators are still prioritized but essential workers like grocers, security officers and janitors, who would have been next in line, now have to wait until their age group comes up. "I am very excited honestly," said Missy Giandurco, 41, who teaches eighth-grade special education. "It's been a very stressful year and the governor made the right choice by moving it forward a little faster." (Leon, 3/3)
The Oregonian: Vaccine Allotment For Safeway, Albertsons Will Double As Oregon Pharmacies Receive Johnson & Johnson Doses
Safeway and Albertsons pharmacies across Oregon will have their weekly COVID-19 vaccine allotment doubled this week as they begin receiving doses of the newly approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Roughly 200 total doses will be going to each of approximately 115 Safeway and Albertsons pharmacies across Oregon this week through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, according to Jill McGinnis, a spokeswoman for Safeway and Albertsons, which share a common owner. (Goldberg, 3/3)
The Oregonian: Bi-Mart In Oregon Could Start Offering COVID-19 Vaccine Thursday, Walmart By This Weekend, State Says
A top Oregon official told state legislators Wednesday that the number of pharmacies offering COVID-19 vaccinations is about to dramatically increase, with Bi-Mart stores in the state possibly starting to offer coronavirus inoculations by Thursday and Walmart stores by Saturday or Sunday. (Green, 3/3)
Savannah Morning News: Savannah Is Getting Drive-Through COVID Mass Vaccination Center
The Savannah area is getting its first drive-through COVID mass vaccination center later this month, Gov. Brian Kemp announced Wednesday. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency is partnering with Gulfstream to host the vaccination effort, which will begin March 17 and run Mondays through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., providing up to 1,100 first doses of the Pfizer vaccine per day on the Gulfstream campus to eligible members of the public. (Landers, 3/3)
KHN: Accidentally Trashed, Thawed Or Expired: Reports Of Covid Vaccine Spoilage
As the speed of covid vaccinations picks up, so do the reports of doses going to waste. And it’s more than just a handful at the end of the day because of a few appointment cancellations. Health officials are trying to rein in waste without slowing down vaccinations. The incidents range from 335 discarded doses in Lee County, North Carolina, that were damaged in shipping, to nearly 5,000 doses that went to waste in Tennessee in February, prompting additional federal oversight. (Farmer, 3/4)
KHN: To Help Farmworkers Get Covid Tests And Vaccine, Build Trust And A Safety Net
With more than 20 million acres of corn and soybeans, Illinois is among the top U.S. producers of those crops. To make it all happen, the state relies on thousands of farmworkers — some of whom travel to the state for seasonal work and others, like 35-year-old Saraí, who call Illinois home. Being an agricultural worker “is the most beautiful thing,” Saraí said in an interview in Spanish. (Herman and Cronin, 3/4)
