Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Chicago Health Commissioner Asks People To Stop Cheating Vaccine Rollout
Chicago Tribune: As Vaccine Code-Sharing Persists, Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady Warns People ‘Do Not Try To Game The System’
Chicago’s public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady on Tuesday again implored people to stop sharing vaccine appointment codes at its city-run sites, a recurring issue that she said has caused logistical headaches for her staff and taken up slots from people who are actually eligible. (Yin, 2/9)
The New York Times: N.Y.’s Vaccine Websites Weren’t Working. He Built a New One for $50.
Huge Ma, a 31-year-old software engineer for Airbnb, was stunned when he tried to make a coronavirus vaccine appointment for his mother in early January and saw that there were dozens of websites to check, each with its own sign-up protocol. The city and state appointment systems were completely distinct. “There has to be a better way,” he said he remembered thinking. So, he developed one. In less than two weeks, he launched TurboVax, a free website that compiles availability from the three main city and state New York vaccine systems and sends the information in real time to Twitter. It cost Mr. Ma less than $50 to build, yet it offers an easier way to spot appointments than the city and state’s official systems do. (Otterman, 2/9)
AP: Iowa Taps Microsoft To Create Vaccination Appointment System
Iowa public health officials selected Microsoft to create an online COVID-19 vaccination scheduling system as they seek to get past a frustrating start that has the state ranked near the bottom nationally in doses administered. The Iowa Department of Public Health posted notice online Monday that it intends to award an emergency contract to Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft. The agency told bidders that it would select a separate contractor to run a vaccine call center later this week. (Foley, 2/9)
Also —
The Hill: Uber And Walgreens To Offer Free Rides To COVID-19 Vaccine Sites
Uber and Walgreens are partnering to offer free rides to COVID-19 vaccination sites in an effort to expand vaccine availability in communities of color. The companies said in a joint statement that Uber will offer free transportation to Walgreens and offsite vaccination clinics. Once an individual has made an appointment, they will then be able to schedule a free ride. (Williams, 2/9)
CNN: Vaccinated Workers At Massachusetts Hospital Volunteer To Sit With Covid-19 Patients
When her husband was exposed to Covid-19 in early January, Kerri Hurley and their two children moved immediately into her mother's basement, leaving him alone to quarantine. A week later, when his oxygen levels began to drop, Hurley watched from a distance as her husband James walked out of their house and got into an ambulance alone. Hurley followed behind in the family car as the ambulance took him to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in nearby Plymouth, Massachusetts. (Sturla, 2/10)
Albuquerque Journal: Navajo Nation Seeing Early Vaccine Rollout Success
The Navajo Nation has administered about 98% of its available COVID-19 vaccines and more doses are arriving this week from the federal government. As of Tuesday, the Navajo Nation had administered 77,074 of the 78,520 vaccine doses it had received. The Navajo Area Indian Health Service, which helps coordinate the reservation’s vaccine distribution, is expecting a shipment of 28,925 doses within days. Roselyn Tso, area director for the Navajo Area IHS, credited local health care workers for managing the tribe’s vaccine clinics alongside testing programs and regular medical care. (Davis, 2/9)
KHN: Farmworker Camps To Urban Tent Cities: Tailoring Vaccine Info To Where It’s Most Needed
Kim Wagenaar has been preparing to bring covid-19 vaccines to western North Carolina for months. She’s signed up the community health center she operates in Asheville to receive and distribute the doses. She’s ordered a subzero freezer to store the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and transport it to rural counties. She’s also allocated her staff between covid testing sites and vaccine clinics. But those logistics make up only half the equation, said Wagenaar, CEO of Western North Carolina Community Health Services. (Pattani, 2/10)
