Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Vaccine Chasers Scour Internet, Wait In Line For Leftover Shots
Boston Globe: Vaccine Hunters’ Dash For Leftover Doses Highlights Rise Of Gray Market
Mounting public eagerness to score a COVID-19 shot has spawned a gray market for vaccinations in Massachusetts in which people who show up at the right place and the right time can get their dose even though they’re not yet eligible. The long line snaking around the clinic at the DoubleTree Hotel in Danvers on Wednesday underscored the growing number of vaccine hunters on the lookout for shots. People had flocked to the hotel after reports circulated of “extra” doses. (Lazar, 2/11)
NBC News: They're Chasing The Dream Of Getting A Covid-19 Vaccination
For this vaccine chaser, the second time was the charm. On her first attempt to get a Covid-19 shot last month, 28-year Leah Robson arrived at a Los Angeles city park at 4 a.m., waited all day with hundreds of other hopefuls, and wound up going home without the vaccination. She tried again the next day at 2:30 a.m. at the Balboa Sports Complex in the Encino neighborhood and found six people already ahead of her in line. But this time, after another all-day wait she got her shot. (Moschella and Siemaszko, 2/11)
AP: 1 In 37 North Carolina Vaccine Recipients Live Out Of State
When Ottis Grimes tried to call a hotline after the state opened up vaccines for seniors last month, he was met with an endless supply of music as he remained on hold. Frustrated with the appointment booking process, the retired banker who lives in Lake Wylie, South Carolina, but still goes to the doctor in North Carolina, took advantage of an offer to get the vaccine across the state border. After receiving a message from Atrium Health in Charlotte notifying him that he was eligible for the vaccine, he immediately had his computer-savvy daughter register him online. ... Grimes is among the more than 27,000 out-of-state residents who have crossed into North Carolina to get vaccinated, state health officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. A number of other states allow people to cross borders to get shots. (Anderson and Liu, 2/12)
Stateline: Scammers Seize On Frustration Chaos Of Vaccine Rollout
People in Chicago are reporting phone calls offering a vaccine appointment—if they provide a prepaid gift card, their Social Security number and other personal information. And in Colorado, scammers are using party invitation software and sites on the dark web to offer phony vaccine appointments—for a small fee, of course. Americans are desperate to get COVID-19 vaccines, but supplies are scarce and the distribution has been chaotic and confusing. That combination has created a huge opportunity for scammers who want to part customers from their money or personal information. (Povich, 2/11)
ABC News: Feds Bust Group That Allegedly Tried To Replicate COVID-19 Vaccine Website
Two men and one woman were charged by the Justice Department for allegedly fabricating a COVID-19 vaccine website. According to an affidavit unsealed Thursday, Olakitan Oluwalade, Odunayo Baba Oluwalad and Kelly Lamont Williams fraudulently replicated Moderna's website, purporting to sell the company's vaccine. (Barr, 2/11)
In other news about who's getting the shot —
NBC News: Can One Homemade Website Save Wasted Vaccinations? These Guys Want To Try
Jimmy Chion's homemade website offers a simple solution to the problem of wasted Covid-19 vaccinations: a one-stop destination to pair people anywhere in the U.S. with excess or near-spoiled doses near them. It's an alluring proposition. For many Americans, finding a vaccination appointment means navigating a maze of government websites and phone lines in hopes of snagging a spot only to be routinely told to check back later. Efforts to make appointments for older relatives have left even tech-savvy people frustrated. (Abbuzzese, 2/11)
The Washington Post: Flood Of Vaccine Misinformation In Spanish Targets Latinos
Since November, Blanca Espronceda has spent many mornings chatting up other Latinos about the coronavirus vaccine, recruiting her neighbors in Maryland’s heavily immigrant suburbs to participate in ongoing trials. But even as a community health worker, she has her own fears about getting the shot. “What if the side effects make me sicker than the virus?” asked Espronceda, a 36-year-old native of Mexico who lives in Hyattsville. “What if I should wait a year, just to make sure it works?” (Armus, 2/11)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Black, Hispanic Residents Getting Vaccine At Slower Rate In Wisconsin
More than 10% of white people in Wisconsin have been vaccinated against COVID-19 compared with about 3% of Black and Hispanic residents, according to new data posted by the state Department of Health Services on Thursday. The data adds more transparency to how well the state is doing in getting residents vaccinated against COVID-19. The department also now is including data on county-level vaccinations in its vaccine dashboard. It also shows stark imbalances between regions and races. (Spicuzza, Dirr and Fauber, 2/11)
KHN: Vaccine Equity Is ‘North Star,’ Feds Say, And Clinics Are Key To Fair Distribution
Mary Barnett is one of about a dozen seniors who got a covid-19 vaccine on a recent morning at Neighborhood Health, a clinic tucked in a sprawling public housing development on the south side of downtown Nashville, Tennessee. “Is my time up, baby?” Barnett, 74, asked a nurse, after she’d waited 15 minutes to make sure she didn’t have an allergic reaction. Barnett, who uses a wheelchair, wasn’t in any particular rush. But her nephew was waiting outside, and he needed to get to work. “Uber, I’m ready,” she joked, calling him on the phone. “Come on.” (Farmer, 2/11)
