Once again, I reached out to my friends living in an extended care facility to get an update. After all, they were in the first wave to be immunized, weren't they?
COVID-19 vaccinations
Front-line essential workers – that’s a great phrase, but what does it mean? Are Congressmen and their aides really “essential workers”? [1]
As two vaccines begin to roll out, the angst previously directed at when this will happen is being quickly transferred to questions of how, and to whom. A new opinion piece suggests some nudges that might make the process of delivering more than a half-billion jabs possible.
The latest polling by the Pew Research Center shows that 60% of Americans are willing to get vaccinated to guard against COVID-19. That's based on a representative sample of Americans polled after the announcements by both Pfizer and Moderna. Here's a breakdown of who's willing to line up, based upon some demographics.
The day before Thanksgiving, "[t]he US reported more than 2,100 deaths in a single day [and] things are projected to get worse," especially with the December holidays plus New Year's coming up. We've got a season of merry-making ahead of us – which used to include family travel, vacations, and partying – all behaviors associated with COVID-19- spread. Things were looking gloomy – until three vaccine manufacturers recently reported promising and exciting vaccine trial results, which should be ready by spring. If we can just hang on till then, we'll be OK …., that is, if we can motivate the vaccine-hesitant.
As the search for a COVID-19 vaccine continues, we also continue to ponder who will be in the front of the queue. If we wish to restore our economy, we must undoubtedly consider vaccinating essential workers early on. But who exactly are they?
As the possibility of an effective COVID-19 vaccine grows, there are questions of distribution. The first-come, first-served approach seems (and is) too random to save lives or the economy. We need some form of prioritization, and here we are in uncharted territory; there are no facts, only computer models. Let's consider one optimized to save the most lives.
Months ago, the government began Operation Warp Speed to quickly find and distribute a vaccine for COVID-19. As that day approaches, our concern has turned to which groups will be first to be protected. And more recently, a Pew study found that instead of a fight to reach the front of the line, only half of us would get the vaccine at all. Why would that be? Let's take a look.