The coronavirus vaccine goes to people who are NOT currently on the priority list, but various health experts say … it’s actually a very good thing.
The best way to explain is through an example. The Men’s Health Clinic in Inglewood, CA, is vaccinating people who are first on LA County’s priority list – health care workers. The clinic took appointments, but there was a problem. A large number of people with appointments ended up being no shows. The clinic had vaccines for these people that were hours past. So, their solution … a waiting list for people who may not be health workers but are eager to be vaccinated.
According to a clinic staff, TMZ closed the day last Tuesday with 150 unused bottles about to spoil. Instead of throwing it in the trash, the staff stayed until 11pm … vaccinated people on the list and some who had just arrived.
One of the people in the queue … reality star Lisa Vanderpump and her husband, Ken Todd. Ken got vaccinated – Lisa did not – because his doctor told him to go to the clinic, as he is 75 with two underlying health conditions. He waited and was vaccinated.
That’s the problem now … the CDC, which should give guidelines to the provinces, has done a poor job, so each country is left to its own devices. We have contacted two dozen places where the vaccine is administered and the policy is general everywhere. LA County has guidelines and the state of California too, and it’s confusing.
We learned that there was a meeting on Friday where LA County Health officials discussed this issue and agreed that it is better to put the vaccine in people’s arms instead of the rubbish. We are told that they are developing a clear protocol for the distribution of vaccine STAT.
They will not be punished against any clinic that chooses vaccination over waste.
There is no clear policy on how to sign up. The staff at the Men’s Health Clinic in Inglewood told us there was a waiting list that was 730 people strong from Tuesday. We could not find that list.
By the way … the staff at the clinic said that anyone who gets their first vaccination at the clinic can also get the second one.
Short story – better to vaccinate than waste.