Groups Push To Expand Vaccine Access
Washington, D.C., could start including people who are obese; Republicans in Wisconsin want to give access to everyone. Other vaccine news is on Pfizer's scare in Norway, a Texas doctor accused of stealing a covid shot and more.
The Washington Post:
D.C. Plans To Prioritize More Medical Conditions For Vaccine Than Most States
The District plans to give priority for coronavirus vaccines to the broadest possible swath of people with preexisting health conditions — a decision that will make hundreds of thousands eligible for scarce doses of the vaccine and that some public health experts say might not make medical sense. The plan, the details of which were confirmed by vaccine director Ankoor Shah, would offer vaccines to people whose weight and medical history would not qualify them for early access to the vaccine in almost any state in the country. (Zauzmer, 1/21)
The Hill:
Advocacy Groups Call For Including Type 1 Diabetes Among Prioritized Vaccine Recipients
Advocacy groups are calling on public health officials to prioritize vaccinating Type 1 diabetes patients in their COVID-19 vaccine distribution plans, citing new research on the risks of serious complications after contracting the virus. A group of 19 diabetes advocacy organizations recently sent a letter to top CDC officials requesting the federal agency recommend that individuals with Type 1 diabetes be included in prioritized vaccine populations. (Gans, 1/21)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Wisconsin GOP Proposes Making Vaccine Available To All By Mid-March
Everyone in Wisconsin would be eligible to schedule appointments for COVID-19 vaccine shots by mid-March and state health officials would be barred from prioritizing prisoners in the vaccine rollout under legislation introduced this week by Republican lawmakers. The Evers administration this week announced residents 65 and older could start scheduling appointments for their first vaccine shot on Monday. At the same time, the Republican leader of the Assembly's health committee is proposing to open up that option to everyone in Wisconsin by mid-March. "We have areas of the state where they are going through their priority list much quicker than other areas," state Rep. Joe Sanfelippo, R-New Berlin, said about the bill. "We’re interested in making sure we get as many vaccines in people as fast as possible." (Beck, 1/21)
In other vaccine news —
Bloomberg:
Pfizer Vaccine Safe for Elderly Despite Norway Scare, WHO Says
The World Health Organization said it sees no evidence that Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s Covid-19 vaccine contributed to the deaths of elderly people and urged that the shot still be used. Reports of deaths “are in line with the expected, all-cause mortality rates and causes of death in the sub-population of frail, elderly individuals, and the available information does not confirm a contributory role for the vaccine in the reported fatal events,” the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety said in a statement on Friday. The risk-benefit balance of the vaccine “remains favorable in the elderly.” (Kresge, 1/22)
CNN:
Texas Doctor Charged With Stealing A Vial Of Covid-19 Vaccine
A public health doctor in Texas has been charged with stealing a vial of Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Harris County District Attorney's Office. District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement Thursday that Dr. Hasan Gokal is accused of theft by a public servant, a misdemeanor that carries a penalty of up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine. (Jones, 1/21)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Beware Of Scammers Who Promise Coronavirus Vaccines, Officials Warn
“Scammers may try to exploit the uncertainty and anxiety” surrounding the vaccine roll-out, District Attorney Stephen M. Wagstaffe said in a statement. Wagstaffe warned that scams may attempt to trick those eager for a vaccine into paying for bogus shots or a a vaccine waiting list that is not valid. “If anyone that isn’t well known in your community — like a doctor, a health care clinic, a pharmacy, a county health program — offers you a vaccine, think twice and check with your doctor,” according to the county. Residents were also encouraged to remain skeptical of vitamins or other dietary supplements claiming to cure coronavirus infections. Products that claim to prevent or treat the virus have not been proven effective, officials said. (Mishanec, 1/21)
