Coronavirus: Vaccine is Here and Now

 

But how to get in into peoples’ arms?

On the administration of the vaccine, mathematicians and their game theories have surpassed credentialled public health professionals in predicting how to proceed. Health experts did not predict that a significant number of workers would decline the vaccine (up to 40%), because of immunity acquired from previous exposure, personal choice, or even the preference of an anti-vax supervisor. The “discouraging supervisor” has not been discussed in the media, but will come into greater view if vaccination clinics maintain limited hours which shift workers find difficult to access. There has been hesitance to release unused doses of vaccine, even as early expiration dates come near.

In New York, Governor Cuomo ordered that healthcare providers who circumvented state-mandated priority groups for vaccination would be fined $1 million, and their license revoked. This is not a general statement about maintaining fair distribution of the vaccine, but a substantiated threat as ParCare Community Health Network, a New York State provider, was sanctioned for “fraud” in vaccinating over 800 high-risk adults ahead of schedule before New Year’s Day. This action has had a chilling effect on providers in the state, who have since allowed unused doses to go to waste, instead of administering them to the general public.

As the vaccine is becoming available to greater populations, bureaucracy and appointment-based systems are hampering the effective distribution of the vaccine. At some hospital systems, there is an hour of administrative work for each dose of the vaccine given. As a result, it is not uncommon for a hospital to vaccinate only 20 of its staff in a day. A well-planned clinic, such as the military Branch Health Clinics, should deliver at least 400 doses per day. A Pfizer vial contains five doses, and must be used within six hours of its opening. Emergencies and medical deferrals can cause planned recipients to miss their doses, and in the interest of public health, another recipient must be found. In rural areas, it will be necessary to relax priority groups to ensure that vaccine does not go to waste. I know a ship’s officer who drove 8 hours to get his vaccine in Norfolk, Virginia; this is not a viable option for senior citizens or low-income individuals. Centralized vaccination centers, as Florida and other southern states have set up, have shown great effectiveness in reaching target groups. Nobody likes to wait in line, but practical evidence shows that a queue is necessary to administer the vaccine without waste.