Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Underdosing Report Confirmed At Mass Vaccination Site In California
San Francisco Chronicle: State Health Officials Confirm Report Of Vaccine Under-Dosing At Oakland Coliseum
California public health officials on Monday said that people who received a coronavirus vaccine at the Oakland Coliseum on Feb. 28 and March 1 likely received less than what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends for a single dose — confirming what a TV station reported last week. The California Department of Public Health on Monday notified people who received a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine after 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 and between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on March 1 about the findings, which were determined with the help from CDC vaccine experts. (Flores, 3/8)
In updates on vaccine eligibility and access —
Salt Lake Tribune: Demand Surges For COVID-19 Vaccination Appointments, As Some 700,000 Utahns Become Eligible
The hottest ticket in Utah this week is an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination, now that another 700,000 Utahns are eligible for their first jab. Monday was the first official day for Utahns 50 and older to sign up for the vaccinations, under new eligibility rules announced Thursday by Gov. Spencer Cox. The governor also added people 16 and older with diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and a body mass index of 30 or higher — a level considered “obese” — to the list of those eligible for the vaccines. People rushed to fill the appointment slots as they went up on websites for county health departments, pharmacies and health companies. (Means, 3/8)
Anchorage Daily News: With Thousands Of Vaccine Appointments Still Open Statewide, Health Officials Say They’re Concerned Some Alaskans Haven’t Realized They’re Eligible For A Shot
Less than a week after Alaska significantly broadened its COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to include a huge chunk of the state’s population, appointment uptake has slowed: At least four thousand appointments remained open statewide by Monday afternoon. State health officials say they are concerned that part of the reason for the excess of unfilled appointments was that many newly eligible Alaskans had not realized they could now get a shot. “I was working at (the emergency department) this weekend, and asking patients if they got vaccinated,” said Dr. Anne Zink, the state’s chief medical officer. “And so many people just didn’t know they were eligible and that it was their turn to get vaccinated.” (Berman, 3/8)
KHN: In Alabama, South Carolina And Louisiana, CVS Vaccine Appointments Go Unfilled
Last week, as covid vaccine appointment slots were snapped up within an hour at CVS stores in 20 states, slots remained open all day at CVS pharmacies in Alabama, South Carolina and Louisiana. The dozens of open appointment slots in the three Southern states stood in sharp contrast to the availability in states such as Delaware, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, where appointments generally were gone by midmorning or earlier. CVS and other retailers typically post appointment slots around 7 a.m. for the next day. (Galewitz, 3/9)
Dayton Daily News: Ohioans 50 And Older Eligible For Vaccine Starting Thursday
Ohioans with type 2 diabetes and end-stage renal disease and those 50 and older will be eligible starting Thursday to receive the coronavirus vaccine, Gov. Mike DeWine announced. (Spicker, 3/8)
Tampa Bay Times: DeSantis: Coronavirus Vaccine To Be Offered To Floridians 60 And Older Next Week
Any Floridian 60 and older will be eligible for a coronavirus vaccination starting March 15, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday. DeSantis said Florida could afford to offer the vaccine more broadly because of what he called “softening” demand among seniors. (Wilson, 3/8)
Oklahoman: 'Vast Majority' Of Oklahomans Eligible For COVID Vaccine Starting Tuesday
The “vast majority” of Oklahomans will be eligible for a vaccine beginning Tuesday, state health officials announced Monday. Oklahomans in Phase 3 of the state’s vaccination plan — which includes essential workers, teachers, staff and students in educational settings outside pre-K through 12th grade — are being added to the list of those allowed to sign up for a vaccine. That adds over 2 million people to the list of those eligible, according to the state’s estimate. “This is big. This is a big step,” deputy commissioner of health Keith Reed said Monday. “This means that we are bringing on the vast majority of Oklahomans." (Branham, 3/9)
The Wall Street Journal: As Covid-19 Vaccine Eligibility Expands, Interest Could Wane
The first months of vaccine distribution have largely been targeted at populations that have shown the most willingness to receive it. Distribution plans differ from state to state, but most gave priority to older Americans in the early phases of the rollout. But as eligibility expands to encompass younger age groups, a continuing Census Bureau survey suggests uptake may slow. The data come from a survey conducted by the Census Bureau and developed in concert with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Health Statistics. The latest release gauged responses from nearly 80,000 adults between Feb. 3 and Feb. 15. (Yeip, 3/8)
Axios: Colorado To Focus On Equity In COVID Vaccine Distribution
Colorado is shifting the focus of its COVID-19 vaccine distribution to equity now that supply is increasing. The new approach is designed to reach racial minorities hit hard by the coronavirus and rural areas with less access to care. (Frank, 3/8)
Axios: Minnesota Moves To Tackle Equity In COVID Vaccine Distribution
Minnesota is now releasing COVID-19 vaccination data by race and ethnicity — and there's work to be done to achieve equity in distribution. While COVID-19 has sickened and killed people of color at higher rates than whites, early data shows members of many of those demographic groups aren't getting as much access to vaccinations. (Van Oot and Halter, 3/8)
Also —
San Francisco Chronicle: Santa Clara County Refuses To Participate In California's Blue Shield-Managed Vaccine Distribution
The Bay Area’s largest county will not participate in the statewide coronavirus vaccine distribution system managed by Blue Shield of California. Santa Clara County executive Jeff Smith said Monday that the county does not plan to sign the agreement with Blue Shield because the county has already set up its own vaccine appointment system and vaccination sites that work well. Blue Shield, he said, would add another layer of bureaucracy to the process and no apparent benefits. He called MyTurn, the state’s vaccine appointment system, an “inferior appointments and data collection system” compared to the county’s existing vaccine IT system. (Ho, 3/8)
Boston Globe: In Surprise Move, Baker Administration Sets High Insurance Payments For Vaccinations
As they prepared to roll out COVID-19 vaccines across Massachusetts, the Baker administration in December made a little-noticed decision about how much it would pay hospitals, health centers, pharmacies, and other providers for putting shots in arms of people covered by the state’s Medicaid program. The administration initially said that program, MassHealth, would pay about $45 per vaccination, equal to the national Medicare rate for providers set by the federal government. But a month later, Governor Charlie Baker’s administration sweetened the pot, agreeing to pay providers twice the national Medicare rate. And it required private health plans to pay at least that amount. (Dayal McCluskey, 3/8)
Axios: Aryo's Electric Food Truck Is Reborn As A Mobile Vaccine Unit
The maker of a compact electric truck originally marketed for food service is focusing on a new, more urgent purpose: a mobile vaccine unit. COVID-19 vaccine distribution is a logistical challenge in many communities, with people waiting in snaking lines of cars — and some lacking transportation altogether. Ayro's "electric vaccine vehicle" aims to address those challenges by setting up mobile stations to bring vaccines to the people. (Muller, 3/9)
