VACCINE BOTTLENECK

by Bob Walsh

In the formerly great state of California the bottle neck appears to be where the rubber meets the road, or more precisely where the needle meets the arm.  There are about 40 million people in California, some of them are even legal citizens and residents.  There are about 17 million doses of the vaccine here in the state but only about 500,000 doses have actually been administered.

California has this tier level rollout "planned."  There is a Phase 1a Tier 1, Phase 1A Tier 2, Phase 1a Tier 3, Phase 1b Tier 1, Phase 1b Tier 2, Phase 1c, Phase and finally Phase 3.  (There is some tweaking being done.  Prisoners were originally Phase 2, but have effectively though unofficially moved up to where they are NOW getting vaccinated.

I fall into Phase 1b Tier 2, though since I am a principle heath care provider for a disabled person that may bump me up the chain.  

There is some negative feedback about administration.  It is being said that doses are being thrown out rather than give them to "targets of opportunity" that are not in the current target group.  The vaccine must be injected or tossed within a certain time period of being taken from the refrigerator.  Some places are in fact throwing it out rathe than using it up on non-target groups.  

It is sort of bureaucratic nirvana.  Following the rules becomes more important than accomplishing the basic goal.