Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
With 80% Of Adults Unvaccinated, US Expands Efforts To Get Shots In Arms
Axios: U.S. Sets Weekend Records For Daily COVID Vaccinations
Just over 2.4 million coronavirus vaccinations were reported to the CDC on Sunday, matching Saturday's record-high for inoculations as seen in Bloomberg's vaccine tracker. (Rummier, 2/28)
Axios: About 20% Of U.S. Adults Have Received First Vaccine Dose, White House Says
Nearly 1 in 5 adults and nearly half of Americans 65 and older have received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, White House senior adviser Andy Slavitt said on Friday. (Fernandez, 2/26)
CBS News: How The United States Plans To Increase The Pace Of COVID-19 Vaccinations
As impressive as the scientific advancements have been, getting shots into people's arms has been plagued by bad weather, bad logistics and bad information. The Biden administration's coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients, in his first television interview since taking the job, tells us there has been real progress over the past month on vaccine distribution. But with just over 50 million vaccine doses given since President Biden took office, the American public still needs patience. (Whitaker, 2/28)
In other updates on the vaccine rollout —
The New York Times: In Quest For Herd Immunity, Giant Covid-19 Vaccination Sites Proliferate
The sites are one sign of growing momentum toward vaccinating every willing American adult. Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine won emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday, and both Moderna and Pfizer have promised much larger weekly shipments of vaccines by early spring. In addition to using mass sites, President Biden wants pharmacies, community clinics that serve the poor and mobile vaccination units to play major roles in increasing the vaccination rate. (Goodnough, 2/28)
Tampa Bay Times: Raymond James Stadium Coronavirus Vaccine Site Opening Monday
The state-supported COVID-19 vaccine site that had been at Tampa’s University Mall will move to Raymond James Stadium on Monday. The decision to permanently relocate mass vaccinations to the stadium’s Lot 14 parking lot comes after the University Mall location reached gridlock in mid-February with long lines and confusion. (Ross, 2/28)
AP: Utah Cancels Vaccine Appointments After Registration Error
Utah is canceling about 7,200 coronavirus vaccine appointments after an error in the state health department’s registration website allowed people without qualifying conditions to register for the shots. Department spokesman Tom Hudachko said in a statement that the error allowed residents who are not 65 or older or who don’t have an underlying medical condition to sign up. (2/28)
USA Today: CVS, Walgreens Shouldn't Dominate COVID Vaccines, Local Pharmacies Say
So far, drugstore giants CVS and Walgreens and big-box stores like Walmart and Kroger have been getting the lion’s share of vaccines from the initial allotment devoted to retail pharmacies, independent pharmacists say. But community pharmacies, they argue, can play a critical role in delivering COVID-19 shots, so they're frustrated that they aren’t receiving as many vaccines proportionally as major chains are getting from the federal, state and local governments. They say their personal relationships with their customers are crucial to a successful vaccine rollout, and they reject the suggestion that they don't have the technology necessary to handling the scheduling process. (Bomey, 3/1)
NBC News: 'Saturday Night Live' Takes Shots At U.S.'s Struggling Vaccination Rollout
"Saturday Night Live" took shots at the country's sluggish vaccination rollout, which has been plagued by shortages, site closures and questions over who should be prioritized for inoculation. The show opened with a spoof of a game show, "So You Think You Can Get the Vaccine," in which contestants vie for a chance at getting shots. "Getting the vaccine shouldn’t be a competition, but Americans will only want to get it if it means someone else can’t," said the host, Dr. Anthony Fauci, played by Kate McKinnon. (Romero, 2/28)
Also —
Bloomberg: Microsoft Says Vaccine Tools Have ‘Fallen Short’ After DC Snags
Widely-used Microsoft Corp. vaccine scheduling software that has run into difficulties in states like Iowa and New Jersey is being blamed for problems that left some residents of the nation’s capital unable to book appointments. After three straight days of issues with the District of Columbia’s online vaccination registration, the Redmond, Washington-based technology company released a statement along with the city government acknowledging “that our efforts have fallen short” and vowing to address the problems. “We understand the frustration of individuals who attempted to utilize the District’s vaccination appointment portal this week,” they said. “We are committed to address technical issues so that the vaccination appointment portal is properly functional and accessible.” (Natter and Bass, 2/28)
NBC News: Why Big Tech Isn't Dominating The Vaccine Rollout
As the nation takes on one of the largest logistical challenges in history with the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination program, many Americans have asked why Big Tech can't run the operation. If Amazon can deliver a phone charger in two days, why can’t it use its logistical prowess to speedily vaccinate a nation? With all of the data that Google collects about its users, why can’t it track down and identify who needs a vaccination? That’s largely because when it comes to getting a phone charger delivered, a company like Amazon handles every step of the process, from taking the order to delivery. But when it comes to vaccine distribution, tech companies have learned they have far less control. The federal government is paying for the needed medication and is managing the supply to the states. Then, states, counties and corporations take over and figure out how to get vaccines into arms. So while Big Tech is certainly playing a role in the vaccine rollout, it’s not exactly how people may expect. (Farivar and Glaser, 2/27)
