Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Frustrations And Wait Times Grow As States Change Vaccine Eligibility
Los Angeles Times: Groups Fear Being Left Out As California Shifts Vaccine Priority
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement Monday that the state would shift vaccine priority to an age-based eligibility structure has sparked concerns from groups representing some essential workers and disabled people who may now have to wait longer to get vaccinated. Little has been shared as to what that would mean in practice. Before Newsom’s announcement, the state intended to give priority to several new groups after California is done vaccinating people 65 and older, including residents in incarcerated and homeless settings, essential workers and individuals with underlying health conditions. It’s now unclear when those groups would be vaccinated. (Shalby, 1/26)
CNN: As California Lifts Restrictions, A Top Health Official Worries About Covid-19 Variants And The Slow Vaccine Supply
The stay-at-home order in California has ended, but a top Los Angeles health official worries that another spike could be on the horizon as Covid-19 variants spread and the supply of vaccines struggles to meet the demand. State officials in California, a recent epicenter of the pandemic in the US, lifted the regional stay at home order for all five regions on Monday in light of expectations that the ICU bed capacity would meet a key threshold in four weeks. (Holcombe, 1/27)
In other updates from other states on the vaccine rollout —
Boston Globe: A Long Night Of Waiting For Mass. Residents 75 And Older Trying To Get A Vaccination Appointment
The state officially embarked on Phase 2 of its COVID-19 vaccination program on Wednesday, extending eligibility to people 75 and older — the population most devastated by the coronavirus. The approximately 450,000 people in the age cohort are now supposed to be able to register for appointments at scores of immunization sites across the state, with the first shots being administered on Monday. ... With registrations largely available online through each provider’s own system, some raced to be among the first to click. They refreshed webpages, tested every link they could find and waited (and waited) for hours, often to no avail. (Larson, 1/27)
North Carolina Health News: Shifting Allocations Cause Vaccine Confusion
Across the state, phones at local health departments are ringing off the hooks, with people on the other end all asking the same question: “When can I get my vaccine?” “Now we receive more than 15,000 calls per day,” wrote Granville-Vance Health Director Lisa Harrison in an email. At NC Health News, we’ve received hundreds of emails asking the same thing. (Hoban and Blythe, 1/26)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin's Phase 1B Of Vaccine Plan Set, May Not Start Till March 1
The state health department announced Tuesday that educators, public-facing essential workers and people in congregate living settings will be next in line for vaccine under Phase 1B, but warned that doses may not be available until around March 1. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said in a statement Tuesday that March 1 is a tentative date based on vaccine supply from the federal government. If vaccine supply increases, these groups may be eligible earlier. (Chen, Linnane and Carson, 1/26)
Capitol Beat News Service: COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Creeps Ahead In Georgia Amid Limited Supplies
Georgia has not yet reached the halfway point in giving first doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the roughly 2 million people currently eligible more than a month after the state’s distribution program began, Gov. Brian Kemp said Tuesday. The number of shots administered to Georgia health care workers, nursing home residents and staff, first responders and people ages 65 and older has gone up in recent weeks after a halting mid-December start, Kemp said at a news conference in the state Capitol. (Evans, 1/26)
The Washington Post: Philadelphia Let ‘College Kids’ Distribute Vaccines. The Result Was A ‘Disaster,' Volunteers Say.
Philadelphia is home to some of the most venerated medical institutions in the country. Yet when it came time to set up the city’s first and largest coronavirus mass vaccination site, officials turned to the start-up Philly Fighting COVID, a self-described “group of college kids” with minimal health-care experience. Chaos ensued. (Noori Farzan, 1/27)
Des Moines Register: Iowa Lawmakers Considering Allowing Dentists To Administer COVID-19 Vaccines, Flu Shots
Iowa lawmakers are considering allowing dentists to administer the COVID-19 vaccine and flu shots. The proposal, House Study Bill 71, received its first hearing at a House subcommittee Tuesday, but did not advance. Lawmakers said they wanted more time to consider the measure before making a decision. "We’re still looking into some things and trying to make some decisions," Rep. Steven Bradley, R-Cascade, told the Des Moines Register. "Probably within the next week or two, two at the latest, we'll make a decision." If it became law, dentists would be required to complete four hours of training related to prescribing and administering vaccines. They would not be allowed to delegate vaccine administration to dental hygienists or dental assistants. (Gruber-Miller, 1/26)
