Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Mass Vaccinations And Massive Surge Place Dueling Pressures On Hospitals
Roll Call: COVID-19 Vaccines Sit At Hospitals As Doctors, Pharmacies Await Doses
Stephen Nuckolls, who runs a North Carolina health care medical group called Coastal Carolina Health Care, has deep freezers capable of storing the two authorized COVID-19 vaccines and hundreds of staff ready to give it. But after two weeks of emailing the North Carolina health department, he couldn’t get a supply. (Kopp, 1/13)
In other distribution updates from Mississippi, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia and elsewhere —
Biloxi Sun Herald: Mississippi Runs Out Of COVID-19 Vaccine. Timetable Now ‘Impossible,’ Health Dept. Says
Mississippi no longer can offer COVID-19 vaccine — beyond the doses reserved for people with appointments — until next month when more vaccine becomes available, the State Department of Health said Wednesday. The announcement comes one day after Gov. Tate Reeves said he is expanding vaccine eligibility to a wider population — those 65 and older or with pre-existing conditions. The governor said he wants to get “shots in the arms” of Mississippians as quickly as possible, vowing to open vaccines to first responders and teachers next week. (Lee, 1/13)
Crain's Detroit Business: Mich. Health Systems Adjust For Vaccine Increase, Ask State To Give Them More
Michigan health systems have asked the state of Michigan to reallocate hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 vaccine doses sitting idly in deep freezers to hospitals and local health departments. Once unused vaccine doses are reallocated, health system executives say their nurses and medical assistants can quickly expand the number of vaccinations for people over age 65 and essential workers, including teachers and first responders. (Greene, 1/13)
Cincinnati Enquirer: There's No Ohio Statewide COVID Vaccine Waitlist. Here's How To Sign Up For Shots
Ohio doesn't have a statewide waitlist or registration form for those seeking a COVID-19 vaccine, but several local health departments have set them up. Starting next week, Ohioans ages 80 and older can obtain COVID-19 vaccines. Ohio is expected to receive about 100,000 doses for a population that includes about 420,000 residents. The Ohio Department of Health will list locations where older Ohioans can obtain COVID-19 vaccines on its website, coronavirus.ohio.gov, starting Thursday. Local health departments also will release information about where vaccines will be distributed in their areas. Some health departments have set up waitlists to notify residents when they are eligible for a vaccine. (Balmert, 1/13)
KHN: California Counties ‘Flying The Plane As We Build It’ In A Plodding Vaccine Rollout
In these first lumbering weeks of the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history, Dr. Julie Vaishampayan has had a battlefront view of a daunting logistical operation. Vaishampayan is the health officer in Stanislaus County, an almond-growing mecca in California’s Central Valley that has recorded about 40,000 cases of covid-19 and lost 700 people to the illness. Her charge is to see that potentially lifesaving covid shots make it into the arms of 550,000 residents. (Barry-Jester, 1/14)
KHN: Delicate Covid Vaccines Slow Rollout — Leading To Shots Given Out Of Turn Or, Worse, Wasted
For Heather Suri, a registered nurse in Virginia, the race to vaccinate Americans against covid has thrown up some unprecedented obstacles. The vaccines themselves are delicate and require a fair bit of focus over time. Consider Moderna’s instructions for preparing its doses: Select the number of shots that will be given. Thaw the vials for 2.5 hours in a refrigerator set between 36 and 46 degrees. Then rest them at room temperature for 15 minutes. Do not refreeze. Swirl gently between each withdrawal. Do not shake. Inspect each vial for particulate matter or discoloration. Store any unused vaccine in refrigeration. (Pradhan, 1/14)
The Wall Street Journal: Extra Covid-19 Shots Pose Quandary For Vaccination Sites
The unexpected blessing was a logistics headache, said Amy Compton-Phillips, chief clinical officer at multistate hospital system Providence. The Pfizer injection kits sent to hospitals had only five syringes and five needles. “So for the sixth or seventh dose, there’s no syringe or needle,” Dr. Compton-Phillips said. Those essentials are in short supply, she said, “so we are turning over rocks trying to give people those doses.” (Winkler, 1/13)
