Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Vaccinating Elderly Could Take 4 to 5 Months, California Says
San Francisco Chronicle: California Says Vaccinating Everyone Over 65 Could Take Four Months
California recently said people 65 and older were eligible to get coronavirus vaccines. But getting two shots into everyone in that age group could take another four to five months, state health officials said Wednesday. Given the current rate of vaccines coming into the state — between 400,000 doses and 500,000 doses a week, in a good week — it will take an estimated 20 to 22 weeks to vaccinate the 65-and-over population alone, state health officer Dr. Erica Pan said during a state vaccine advisory committee meeting. (Ho, 1/20)
Shortages and delays continue to vex residents —
The Wall Street Journal: Cuomo Implores Biden Administration To Boost Covid-19 Vaccine Supplies
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called on the Biden administration to ramp up production of the Covid-19 vaccine, warning that New York will exhaust its allotted doses on a weekly basis for the foreseeable future. ... New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio also said Wednesday at a separate news conference that the city had to reschedule 23,000 vaccine appointments this week because of a vaccine shortage. (De Avila, 1/20)
The Hill: New York City Reschedules 23,000 Vaccination Appointments Due To Supply Issues
Tens of thousands of New Yorkers had their coronavirus vaccine appointments rescheduled this week due to a lack of supply, Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said Wednesday. According to the mayor, a delay in the delivery of Moderna's vaccine contributed to the supply issues, which puts the city's goal of 1 million vaccinations by the end of the month in jeopardy. (Weixel, 1/20)
The New York Times: Thousands Of Vaccine Appointments Canceled As Supply Lags
That Covid-19 vaccine appointment may not just be hard to get — it may not even be all that secure. Thousands of people across the country learned that their appointments had been abruptly canceled in the last few days, after vaccine shipments to local health departments and other distributors fell short of what was expected. (1/21)
Politico: States’ New Vaccine Worry: Not Enough Doses
More than a dozen states say they are starting to run out of supplies of coronavirus shots as they ramp up the pace of vaccinations, the latest hitch in a struggling nationwide inoculation effort. New York City on Wednesday canceled at least 23,000 vaccine appointments with supplies running low for first doses. Some states, like Colorado and Oregon, are scaling back eligibility for vaccinations or rejecting new, expansive federal guidelines in an effort to ration scarce shots. (Roubein and Ehley, 1/20)
AP: States Report Vaccine Shortages And Cancel Appointments
The push to inoculate Americans against the coronavirus is hitting a roadblock: A number of states are reporting they are running out of vaccine, and tens of thousands of people who managed to get appointments for a first dose are seeing them canceled. Karen Stachowiak, a first-grade teacher in the Buffalo area, spent almost five hours on the state hot line and website to land an appointment for Wednesday, only to be told it was canceled. The Erie County Health Department said it scratched vaccinations for over 8,000 people in the past few days because of inadequate supply. (Hill and Peltz, 1/20)
Fox News: COVID-19 Vaccinations Delayed In Michigan As Nearly 12,000 Moderna Doses Botched During Transport
Nearly 12,000 doses of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine were compromised after they dipped below acceptable temperatures during recent transport to Michigan, according to state health officials. "The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has been notified by McKesson that several shipments of Moderna vaccine shipped on Sunday, Jan. 17, had their temperature reported as going out of range and getting too cold," reads a statement from the health department. (Rivas, 1/20)
The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Seniors, Others Eligible For Coronavirus Vaccine Frustrated By Communication Void, Wait
Like it did for many Maryland seniors, Gov. Larry Hogan’s announcement last week offered hope for Stephen Poe. It meant the 80-year-old who lives near Edgewater would be eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine in a few days. So Poe visited the Anne Arundel County Department of Health’s website and filled out a preregistration form. He got an automated confirmation email saying his information had been received, and then tried signing up through his hospital and two other counties. (Mann and Miller, 1/21)
North Carolina Health News: For Some Long-Term Care Residents, Vaccine Comes Too Late
Even as North Carolina enters the second phase of its vaccine plan, some long-term care residents are still waiting for the COVID-19 vaccine. For Barbara Fischer, an 83-year-old dementia patient at Brookdale Meadowmont, it could be coming too late. (Critchfield, 1/20)
