People outside of the federal guidelines that say, only certain segments of the population are the current priorities for COVID-19 vaccinations, are discovering ways to get the vaccine anyway.
The CDC currently recommends that the COVID-19 vaccine goes to people in three priority groups: essential workers, people over 65, and people 16-64 with underlying health conditions. That grouping equates to more than 200 million people, but findings show that individual states are making their own decisions concerning vaccination priority.
As of Friday, 57.5 million doses of the vaccine have been delivered around the country, which does not meet the demand. And while some Americans are volunteering to help in any way they can, the urge to jump the line is strong for many.
Daniel J. Hurst, Ph.D., and Matthew Arbo, Ph.D., wrote that problem in the American Journal of Bioethics.
“When demand for healthcare resources outpaces its supply, it is imperative to allocate resources in an equitable manner. Doing so respects the basic principle of justice,” they wrote.
The available data on the racial makeup of vaccine recipients id dismal. Among the 23 states that have reported these details, Black and Latino people received far smaller shares of the vaccine than their share of cases and deaths and compared to their share of the states’ populations.
For instance, in Mississippi, Black people make up 38% of the population and 41% of the deaths due to COVID-19, but they’ve received only 17% of the vaccinations.
“The burden of COVID infection and severe illness and death has been very unequal,” says Muriel Jean-Jacques, MD, who co-wrote an editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association called “Vaccine Distribution — Equity Left Behind?”
“So it makes sense that when you have a limited supply commodity, like a vaccine in the middle of a pandemic, that you would try to get it to those who are most likely to die, or to get severely ill first. It’s also not surprising that a limited commodity may not actually go to those who need it most.
Especially if those who need it most have borne the brunt of structural racism and classism.”
For example, a vaccine site that opened in a Latino community in New York City saw its appointments filled by white people from elsewhere. Glitches in the system let people outside priority groups in Washington state, Tennessee, and Missouri make appointments. Some counties in Michigan are allowing local elected officials to get shots.
Among the country’s rich and powerful, many are scheming to find a vaccine before their turn. In Hollywood, entertainment-world heavyweights have been working their networks, offering bribes and flying by private jet to get shots when they can find them. In New York, a celebrity workout SoulCycle instructor booked an appointment by titling herself an “educator.” Before the state clamped down, Florida’s priority list didn’t require recipients to live in the state, so wealthy “vaccine tourists” flew in to get a shot. And some Seattle-area hospitals offered “invitation-only” vaccinations to hospital foundation board members and major donors. Yes you read that correctly. Vaccine selectivity based upon a funding relationship with the hospital.
“In this country, we’re used to prioritization and timeliness being determined by power, privilege, and money,” says Jean-Jacques. “I understand they’re equally scared, but they need to wait.” (Not all celebrities are taking advantage: 75-year-old Dolly Parton, who donated money to help vaccine research, has announced she’ll hold off on getting the vaccine.)
“Allowing the ultra-rich to buy their way to the front of a line, much like a Disney FastPass that allows guests to pay an added fee to avoid long lines at attractions, is uncertain to maximize benefits and minimize risks,” Hurst and Arbo wrote in the American Journal of Bioethics.
While these examples are clearly unethical jumping the line isn’t always the wrong thing to do. A vial of vaccine must be used in its entirety within 6 hours after opening, but facilities sometimes wind up with extra doses at the end of the day which if not used would have to be thrown away.
Some people are aware of this and will wait in line, just in case. Freezer breakdowns have also led to facilities to rush to administer the vaccines before they were no longer viable. Recently, during a snowstorm causing traffic standstills, health care workers in Oregon went from car to car, looking for takers.
“If you truly have vaccine that’s about to be thrown out, of course, you should get it into any safe arm that you can,” says Jean-Jacques. “Everybody in this country is at risk for COVID-19, illness, and death.”
Sources WebMD, LLC.
By subscribing, you consent to receive emails from BlackDoctor.com. You may unsubscribe at any time. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service.
