Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Racial Disparities, Inconsistent Policies Shape Picture Of The Vaccinated
CNN: White People Are Getting Vaccinated At Higher Rates Than Black And Latino Americans
Black and Latino Americans are receiving the Covid-19 vaccine at significantly lower rates than White people -- a disparity that health advocates blame on the federal government and hospitals not prioritizing equitable access. A CNN analysis of data from 14 states found vaccine coverage is twice as high among White people on average than it is among Black and Latino people. The analysis found that on average, more than 4% of the White population has received a Covid-19 vaccine, about 2.3 times higher than the Black population (1.9% covered) and 2.6 times higher than the Hispanic population (1.8% covered). (Ellis and McPhillips, 1/26)
KHN: Poll: Nearly Half Of American Adults Now Want The Covid Vaccine — ASAP
Americans’ reluctance to get vaccinated for covid-19 is waning, according to a poll released Wednesday. Nearly half of adults surveyed in January said they have either already been vaccinated or want the vaccine as soon as they can, up from about a third of adults polled in December, according to the latest KFF survey. (KHN is an editorially independent program of KFF.) (Galewitz, 1/27)
CNN: Vaccine Rollout Stumbles As A 'Hunger Games' Approach Leaves States And Counties To Fend For Themselves
Eighty-year-old Belma Requejo of Los Angeles County is trapped in her home with her 83-year-old husband and two other elderly relatives. They are waiting for a coronavirus vaccine. Every day for a week, her daughter, Maria -- who lives in the same household with her two children -- has tried to get on the county's website to make an appointment. And every time, Maria is told there is no availability. (Kuznia and Devine, 1/26)
Chicago Tribune: Foxx Stunned As Some Public Defenders Arranged For Coronavirus Vaccine At Cook County Jail Ahead Of Her Staff
A handful of Cook County public defenders received a COVID-19 vaccine at the Cook County Jail this week unbeknownst to leaders of the Cook County state’s attorney’s office who told the Tribune they had no idea public defenders were in talks to possibly be designated for earlier inoculations. “I was horrified to find out by rumor that this was a possibility, and we went on to confirm it,” State’s Attorney Kim Foxx told the Tribune late Tuesday. (Crepeau, 1/26)
KHN: If I Have Cancer, Dementia Or MS, Should I Get The Covid Vaccine?
As public demand grows for limited supplies of covid-19 vaccines, questions remain about the vaccines’ appropriateness for older adults with various illnesses. Among them are cancer patients receiving active treatment, dementia patients near the end of their lives and people with autoimmune conditions. Recently, a number of readers have asked me whether older relatives with these conditions should be immunized. This is a matter for medical experts, and I solicited advice from several. All strongly suggested that people with questions contact their doctors and discuss their individual medical circumstances. (Graham, 1/27)
Also —
The New York Times: ‘Paramedic Of The Year’ Is Arrested After Covid-19 Vaccine Theft, Sheriff Says
An emergency worker in Florida was arrested this week in connection with the theft of coronavirus vaccine doses, just 12 days after he had been recognized as a county’s “paramedic of the year,” the authorities said on Tuesday. The paramedic, Joshua Colon, 31, had been responsible for administering doses of the vaccine to firefighters in Polk County, the county’s sheriff, Grady Judd, said during a news conference. (Vigdor, 1/26)
The Wall Street Journal: Wisconsin Pharmacist To Plead Guilty To Attempting To Spoil Covid-19 Vaccine
A Wisconsin pharmacist agreed to plead guilty to intentionally attempting to spoil hundreds of doses of Covid-19 vaccine by leaving them unrefrigerated on two nights late last year at the hospital where he worked, according to a plea agreement filed in federal court. Steven R. Brandenburg of Grafton, Wis., indicated he planned to enter a guilty plea to two counts of attempting to tamper with consumer products, with reckless disregard for the risk that another person will be placed in danger of death or bodily injury, according to the agreement filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Each count carries up to 10 years in prison, court documents say. (Barrett, 1/26)
