Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Hunt For Vaccine Frustrates Residents In Most States
Houston Chronicle: Texas Is First State To Administer 1 Million COVID-19 Vaccines
Texas is the first state to administer more than 1 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday. So far, the state has handed out just over a million doses to a total of 890,000 Texans. About 130,000 of those individuals have received both of the shots required to become fully immunized, according to the Department of State Health Services’ vaccine dashboard. “This is the biggest vaccination effort we have ever undertaken, and it would not be possible without the dedication and tireless efforts of our health care workers,” Abbott said in a release. “We still have a long road ahead of us, but Texans continue to prove that we are up to this challenge.” (Harris, 1/14)
AP: In Coronavirus Vaccine Drive, Deep South Falls Behind
The coronavirus vaccines have been rolled out unevenly across the U.S., but four states in the Deep South have had particularly dismal inoculation rates that have alarmed health experts and frustrated residents. In Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina, less than 2% of the population had received its first dose of a vaccine at the start of the week, according to data from the states and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As in other parts of the country, states in the South face a number of challenges: limited vaccine supplies, health care workers who refuse to get inoculated and bureaucratic systems that are not equipped to schedule the huge number of appointments being sought. (Thanawala, 1/15)
The New York Times: As California Eases Vaccine Rules, Many Complain Of Chaos
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement on Wednesday seemed sweeping: California would open up eligibility for a coronavirus vaccine to anyone 65 or older, effectively abandoning a rollout plan that was meant to ensure that the most vulnerable would be first in line. A day later, residents of the vast and varied state were trying to navigate what many described as vaccination chaos. (1/15)
AP: False Availability Claim Spurs Rush To NYC Vaccine Site
New Yorkers lined the sidewalks and cars jammed the streets near a Brooklyn coronavirus vaccine site Thursday after false rumors spread of extra doses available to the general public. Messages spread online claimed several hundred doses had to be given out by Thursday evening and that any adult was welcome, whether they had an appointment or not. (1/15)
AP: Expanded Vaccine Rollout In US Spawns A New Set Of Problems
The rapid expansion of COVID-19 vaccinations to senior citizens across the U.S. has led to bottlenecks, system crashes and hard feelings in many states because of overwhelming demand for the shots. Mississippi’s Health Department stopped taking new appointments the same day it began accepting them because of a “monumental surge” in requests. People had to wait hours to book vaccinations through a state website or a toll-free number Tuesday and Wednesday, and many were booted off the site because of technical problems and had to start over. (Har, Peltz and Breed, 1/15)
Also —
AP: Instacart, Others Push Incentives To Get Workers Vaccinated
As vaccinations continue across the U.S., some companies are offering financial incentives to encourage their workers to get the shots. Instacart Inc., the grocery delivery service, announced Thursday that it would provide a $25 stipend for workers who get the COVID-19 vaccine. It joins others, including Trader Joe’s and Dollar General, which plan to pay workers extra if they get vaccinated. (Olson and Durbin, 1/15)
Las Vegas Review Journal: Largest COVID Vaccination Site In Nevada Opens After Dress Rehearsal
The largest COVID-19 vaccination site in the state will officially open Friday to members of the public — at least those who were able to make appointments on the Southern Nevada Health District’s website before it crashed. The vaccination site at Cashman Center in Las Vegas had what was described as a by-invitation-only soft launch Thursday aimed at working out operational bugs, officials said at an on-site briefing. The site, operated by the health district, Clark County, Las Vegas and the Nevada National Guard, is expected eventually to be able to immunize several thousand people per day. (Hynes, 1/14)
North Carolina Health News: Providers, Rural Directors Dispute Slow Vaccine Complaints
It’s hard to tell that the mass vaccination clinic set up by UNC Health was only a few days old. There was no crush of patients at the door. Instead, a steady stream of gray-haired people, some on canes, walkers or in wheelchairs, arrived at the Friday Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to find a registration desk to check their appointments once they got inside the door. (Hoban, 1/15)
The technology behind the vaccine rollout is scrutinized —
Stat: Vaccine Registration Technology Is Failing. Here's How To Fix It
The crashes of online vaccine scheduling systems have become a sad symbol of how technology has hampered the nation’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign, leaving people unable to sign up or find out when and where they can get their shots. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The technology and expertise to schedule people and line them up according to priority levels is widely available, health data experts said. (Ross, 1/14)
The Hill: Tech Coalition Working To Create Digital COVID-19 Vaccination Passport
A coalition of health and technology organizations are working to develop a digital COVID-19 vaccination passport to allow businesses, airlines and countries to check if people have received the vaccine. The Vaccination Credential Initiative, announced on Thursday, is formulating technology to confirm vaccinations in the likelihood that some governments will mandate people provide proof of their shots in order to enter the nation. (Coleman, 1/14)
