Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Overseas US Military Finding It Hard To Get Covid Vaccines
Roll Call: Americans At Military Bases Overseas Struggle To Get COVID-19 Vaccine
Emilee Seger watched as her home state of Ohio announced that it would open COVID-19 vaccinations to all adults by the end of the month. If she were home, it would have been cause for celebration. But Seger, who lives more than 4,000 miles away at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, felt abandoned. On base, vaccinations are only available to the highest-priority groups, and the supply is so limited that some second doses have been canceled. (Satter, 3/24)
The New York Times: Texas, Indiana And Georgia Are Making All Adults Eligible For Covid-19 Vaccination
Texas, Indiana and Georgia announced Tuesday that residents 16 years and older will be eligible for Covid-19 vaccinations starting Thursday for Georgia residents, Monday for Texans and on March 31 for Indianans. They joining a growing list of states that plan to broaden vaccine eligibility to all adults ahead of a May 1 deadline set by President Biden. “With every dose, Texas gets closer to normal and protects more lives from COVID-19 hospitalization and death,” the state’s health department said in a Twitter post. (3/24)
The Oregonian: COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Headed To Oregon Pharmacies Has Nearly Doubled In Last Two Weeks
The number of COVID-19 vaccine doses headed to Oregon pharmacies has grown dramatically over the last several weeks as the federal government has continued to ramp up its pharmacy program. Oregon pharmacies will receive more than 44,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses this week through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. Two weeks ago, pharmacies within the state were receiving just 24,000 doses per week. (Goldberg, 3/23)
North Carolina Health News: Daunting Logistics To Vaccinate Homebound Folks
A few days ago, Jay Smith and his wife, Yolanda, loaded up his wheelchair in the car and went down to the state Division of Motor Vehicles office near his Raleigh home to surrender his license. “You can’t do it by mail, you have to go there,” Jay Smith said. “It’s like 3 months to get an appointment.” Smith, 57, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known more commonly as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, in December and he’s had rapid loss of ability. By the time his appointment rolled around, he could barely transfer from his car to a wheelchair to go into the building. (Hoban, 3/24)
USA Today: Many Won't Travel, Dine Out Until Herd Immunity Arrives
A growing share of Americans would feel safe resuming activities like dining out or flying within a few weeks of their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, but about 25% to 30% would wait until the nation reaches herd immunity, according to a Harris Poll survey for USA TODAY. Their attitudes bode well for what’s expected to be a historically robust recovery from the coronavirus recession. But the sizeable share of people who prefer to wait until at least 70% of the population is immune could mean a less roaring launch to the rebound as some activity shifts to late summer and fall from midyear. (Davidson, 3/24)
In updates from Maryland —
The Baltimore Sun: Maryland COVID Vaccine Eligibility Expands Next Week To Include All With CDC Underlying Conditions, Disabilities
Starting next week, people with a range of underlying medical conditions identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as risk factors for severe cases of the coronavirus will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination appointments, state officials said Tuesday. Currently, cancer patients, people with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis, sickle-cell disease patients, people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and solid organ transplant recipients qualify for vaccines in the state, though they have to be receiving inpatient or outpatient treatment in a hospital setting. (Miller, 3/23)
The Baltimore Sun: Maryland To Double Mass COVID Vaccination Sites As Hogan, Health Officials Warn Of Threat Of Virus Variants
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Tuesday the state would double the number of state-run mass COVID-19 vaccination clinics by mid-April, while offering a new warning about the spread of coronavirus variants. As he unveiled plans to open mass immunization sites in six of the state’s most populous counties, the Republican governor rebranded the inoculation effort “as a race between the vaccines and the variants.” (Mann and Stole, 3/23)
The Baltimore Sun: Maryland’s Emergency Contracts For COVID Vaccine Rollout To Get Public Review
A set of emergency contracts signed by the Hogan administration to help the state with its COVID-19 vaccine rollout will get their first official review Wednesday, providing a window into the millions in public spending done quickly and in private to combat the pandemic. The Maryland Board of Public Works is expected to consider the contracts, one with New York-based consulting firm Ernst & Young and the other with Bethesda-based Digital Management. Together, they could reach a combined value of $46 million. (Miller and Cohn, 3/23)
