![]() Stories emerged about people receiving the vaccine in one state who would not have qualified in another state. ![]() Some states started creating their own guidelines, resulting in a patchwork of eligibility. But soon after the first vaccines were authorized by the FDA, things started to become a bit confusing. Following that, Phase 1c included people 65 to 74, people ages 16 to 64 with high-risk medical conditions and other essential workers.Īt the time, it seemed logical. Next was Phase 1b, which included people 75 years and older and frontline essential workers who didn’t work in the health care sector. At the top of the list, in Phase 1a: health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. (CNN) - Months before the US Food and Drug Administration even approved the first Covid-19 vaccine, there were many conversations and debates going on about who should be put at the front of the line to get it.Įventually, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices - the group that actually develops recommendations for vaccine usage - issued its guidelines. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Subsequently, the Archdiocese of Seattle stated they’ve received guidance from health officials that he was eligible because of his status as a worker in a health care setting.By Dr. Robinette, the Virginia Mason spokesperson, said this past week, a photo ID and screenshot or printout of eligibility confirmation from the department of health were required.Įditor’s Note: In a previous version of this story, we indicated that Seattle Archbishop Etienne was not eligible to receive the Covid vaccine. Last week, all you needed to get into the Virginia Mason clinic was an appointment. It is early in the rollout, though, and providers are making adjustments. “The attempt to have equity created more inequity,” Moss said. That means people with access to technology - and technical know-how - get vaccines first. Moss said simple, age-based categories would have been easier to communicate to the public and easier for providers to enforce, and would have accomplished the goal of reducing hospitalizations and deaths.īut because the categories are confusing, it’s easier if you have a computer, so you can walk through the Department of Health website to check your eligibility. Without a plan to roll out the vaccines in the intended order, Moss said, “You create confusion, and then you create opportunities for people to cut the line.” “But people didn't take the next step, ‘How would we actually pull this off and operationalize this?’” “That was definitely well intentioned when it was thought out,” Moss said. He said confusing, unclear eligibility categories are causing problems with the vaccine rollout in Washington state and around the country. William Moss, at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Public Health, researches how to design vaccination campaigns. Later, the Archdiocese of Seattle told KUOW that Etienne received the dose because he anoints the sick in hospitals, and therefore is considered a worker in a health care setting.ĭr. ![]() “Not only for our own health, but for the common good of the broader community.” ![]() “I'm actually kind of a PR ploy on this one, as the Archbishop, to get my own vaccination and encourage other people to do the same,” he said. At the time, only workers in health care settings and nursing home residents and staff were eligible for the vaccine. In some cases, the ambiguity of the categories has led to questions about who may or may not be eligible.Īrchbishop of Seattle, Paul Etienne, 61, for example, got his first dose at the Swedish clinic on Seattle University’s campus. Massachusetts, for example, requires all vaccine providers to collect a form that people have to sign to certify that they're eligible “under the penalties of perjury.” That form is available in 11 languages on the Massachusetts government's website. Some states have a more centralized approach. “They are irate, and difficult for staff to deal with.” “We can look them up usually in several systems to see if they’re eligible or not - but, if they’re not, it’s a very bad conversation,” Kibby said. They give out about 100 vaccines a week.Īdministrator Rosalinda Kibby said that when people come in for their vaccine appointments, they get a few more questions than at Overlake. The Columbia Basin Hospital in central Washington has a different procedure. “It would really be difficult for every hospital to take it to the nth level to see if somebody really answered every question honestly. “We do everything we can do to communicate to people: Please, schedule only if you’re eligible,” DeBord said. At Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue, Tom DeBord, chief operating officer said they administer thousands of vaccines every week.
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