Massachusetts will begin offering COVID-19 vaccines to individuals in nursing homes next week, the youngest group to qualify as officials through the first phase of state implementation.
With the pandemic raging, however, some are asking why the process is not happening faster.
According to The Washington PostVaccine detectors in Massachusetts are 26th in the country when it comes to the number of people who received their first dose per capita, lagging behind New York and the other states in New England. And while the federal government this week issued new guidelines urging countries to expand the pool of individuals who can get a vaccine, Gov. Charlie Baker defends his government’s regimental approach.
‘I know it’s not popular, but I really hope we are able to reach the population with the available vaccine early on for whom life has been most at risk, and for whom the health care system relies and is dependent on care. “Baker told reporters during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Despite the announcement Tuesday by President Donald Trump’s government to establish states to make vaccines available to all individuals over the age of 65, as well as younger individuals with co-diseases, Baker said his government has not received any such guidance. .
In the first phase of the current three-phase vaccination in Massachusetts, officials are prioritizing (in that order) leading health workers; nursing homes and other long-term care facilities; respond first; care institutions for congregations, such as homeless shelters and prisons; and other healthcare professionals who do not treat COVID-19 patients.
Massachusetts recently adjusted its vaccination priority order to add individuals over the age of 75 or who have multiple medical conditions at the beginning of the second phase of the rollout, which begins next month, if the vaccines from the federal, according to Baker, go the government continues as expected.
The administration also announced on Wednesday that individuals in low-income senior housing will be added to the first group in the second phase, which will also include essential workers, such as teachers and grocery store employees. The rest of the general public will probably only be eligible to receive a vaccine in April.
However, some states have already extended the implementation to a larger group of people.
West Virginia, what? leading the country in vaccinations per capita, already offers the vaccine to all residents over the age of 80, as well as teachers over the age of 50. Florida put residents over 65 at the top of the priority list last month. California moves to do the same this week. Other places even offered residual doses to literally anyone, regardless of their age.
According to Bloomberg, Massachusetts used 33.1 percent of its allowable doses, which is equivalent to the 35th highest out of the 50 states. Five states, including Connecticut and Rhode Island, administered more than 50 percent of their doses.
Some healthcare professionals in Massachusetts, Baker asked for more flexibility in recording the vaccine doses. But the governor on Wednesday stressed that efforts must focus strictly on people who are most vulnerable or exposed to COVID-19.
‘I know that [in] “Many states have vaccinated people who are the same age as my children in front of people who are home health workers or health workers or long-term caregivers or long-term caregivers or some of these other populations or people with more than one co-morbidity and older than 70,” he said on Wednesday. ‘Honestly, I just do not think that’s the way we should do it. I think the focus early on should be on those who have the most to lose, or who are fundamental to our ability to care for those who have the most to lose. ”
While the governor said the early stages of the deployment met his “bumpy” expectations, Baker did say that if the federal distribution of vaccines goes according to forecasts, he could be in a position in ’60 to 90 days a day. To offer the vaccine to the wider population.
Earlier this week, the state announced its first mass vaccination site at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, which will only serve first responders. But officials hope to make it available to the general public as soon as they are eligible. Other potential mass vaccination sites, such as Fenway Park, are also being discussed.
Foreign Minister Bill Galvin on Thursday suggested that in the upcoming local elections this state, the state be experimenting with setting up vaccination centers adjacent to polling stations to qualify for population.
The push comes as Massachusetts continues to see high COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. The state currently has the highest number of new daily cases per capita in the country, according to Brown University’s coronavirus risk panel. And while that may be partly explained by the state’s high COVID-19 test rate (which is third in the country), Williams College of Economics professor Pamela Jakiela said. tweeted this week that the situation, together with the delayed vaccination, raises the question:
“With so much relevant human capital for medical and public health, how do we make it so bad?” Jakiela wrote.
Get Boston.com’s email alerts:
Subscribe and receive coronavirus news and recent updates, from our newsroom to your inbox.