What groups are “essential workers”?
The federal government identified educators as essential workers last May?
1 Like
I struggle with the idea that distribution is broken. It can be improved, but it isn’t broken. And while everyone has different ideas as to who should go first, that doesn’t make it broken if the order doesn’t like up with one’s personal preference on the subject.
There are three main ways that can be argued. Once one is chosen, it would be broken if it is going to people other than the agreed upon priorities.
First would be to vaccinate the most vulnerable first.
Another is to vaccinate the most likely to spread it first.
And finally is to vaccinate the most likely to catch it.
Any of those three (or hybrid of them) can be argued.
But right now, the problem comes down to one thing: vaccine availability. There isn’t enough to go around no matter which method you prefer. And until there is, people will say it is broken. It isn’t. We have to all continue to be patient until enough of the vaccine is available. That will still be quite a while.
Be patient. We will get there.
9 Likes
Spot on, Ryan. I think we’re a bit quick to call things broken if we’re not personally vaccinated yet. It’s a modern miracle we even have the supply we do at this point.
4 Likes
Are “ behavioral health” in a category that has been vaccinated in your state? Some of our school counselors were vaccinated under that category. I just heard the news say the NH Governor was going to order schools back in person, not for academics but for behavioral health. If that is the case, I think teachers can argue they qualify for the vaccination.
I actually don’t call things broken for myself or my teachers. I say, in Massachusetts, the cape cod seniors is all anyone needs to know about:
That area is getting under 1000 doses a week for the largest over 75 population (over 25,000). All I can figure is that the plan is that they will all get in their cars and drive the 60-120 minutes up rt. 495 (each way) to Gillette Stadium?
It might not be broken everywhere, but it is broken for some.
2 Likes
I wouldn’t say the system is broken in PA. It’s just a hot mess. Apparently, there was a mess up with around 200,000 Moderna vaccines here. They gave away second doses as first doses and those who were to get their second doses are in limbo and getting their vaccine appointments pushed back while the state scrambles to find more.
People who do qualify for the vaccine are having to Liner it everyday by scouring websites to get an appointment rather than the state just having a single registry system to get everyone a vaccine in an orderly fashion. I’m ok with waiting my turn, but this is ridiculous.
Teachers are not getting vaccinated here, at least for the most part, but neither are Children and youth case workers (I can’t begin to tell you what they have to walk into on a regular basis), daycare workers or mental health workers outside of healthcare systems.
Did I tell you about my pregnant niece? She is a BCBA that does early intervention home services. She has been quarantined 4 times. All 4 times she was told after her visit that there was an active case in the home.
My niece who has COVID this week called her employer at the first sign of symptoms on Monday (she worked Sunday)- her family got their first COVID positive on Sunday. The BOH told her to wait until Thursday to get herself tested. Because she didn’t have an actual positive test on Monday, they weren’t quarantining any of her close contacts. Something seems very wrong with this.
I have only been to a couple of family’s homes and met them from my car for less than 15 minutes. I’m not a therapist though. Some of our EI therapists go out hybrid (some in-person and some virtual) but most sessions at this point are still virtual. I have one family getting all in-person due to lack of internet and have heard no issue with them. All our therapists do a COVID screener with the family before going in-person. Anybody who had to quarantine that I have heard was because they found out someone was positive after the session. I find a lot of families are very protective of their therapists.
That is too bad about your niece. There really are some ignorant people out there.
1 Like
Oh, that might be common .
1 Like
My DH has not been quarantined after close contacts at work. Interesting story about that. Everyone he closely works with has gotten COVID. One guy tested negative with symptoms multiple times in a week and almost everyone on the shift tested positive with symptoms not long after. My DH has not had any symptoms and has not been ill at all. Neither have any of the rest of us in the family. I tell him he has COVID armor. He says it’s just another piece of evidence we probably already got COVID in January 2020.
3 Likes
My answer is yes. I am concerned about the new variants, mostly because we don’t have any good information about them as relates to the vaccine. But with masks still required at WDW and hand sanitizer still all over the place, I would 100% go to the parks if we were vaccinated. I might avoid eating indoors, but I would do indoor rides, which is probably the same amount of exposure. So I would still take some precautions (and I would still act as if I could spread it when I got home), but I would feel comfortable going, because I would trust the vaccine immunity (or at least to keep me from getting seriously ill.)
My mental health needs this to be true. I might be living in denial a little bit, but I have to tell myself that the light at the end of the tunnel is as close as the optimists say.
I am also team ‘never never never waste a shot.’ I know some people will game the system and honestly I get it. I would be tempted to do it too if I had a good opportunity. But the thing I cannot handle is shots being wasted when there is such short supply.
6 Likes
Well, yeah. There’s plenty of local examples where improvement is needed. I was thinking more in macro terms. I think we’re both right.
2 Likes
There is a bit broken in FL. Specifically how high risk ppl get access. It has been discussed and criticized here in the state w/o resolution. It’s due to the wording of the phase “law”. It’s done poorly and doesn’t interface with appointment system. It states that hospital providers can vaccinate those they determine at high risk. Few ppl go to a hospital for routine or primary care. And primary care clinics don’t have access to vaccine. So high risk have to wait for gen pop phase? That’s why I say that bit is broken.
2 Likes
All of which comes from the fact…there aren’t enough vaccinations to go around yet. These issues are not unique to Florida. Everywhere there aren’t enough which is making being able to distribute them in an orderly fashion isn’t working. Some are getting them. Some aren’t. Not because things are broken. Because there isn’t enough to go around yet!
1 Like
Sigh… this is different. Not trying to be argumentative. Has nothing to do with shortages. I get there’s not enough. It’s that high risk ppl in FL have no way to even TRY to get a vaccine unless they are also x,y,z. Their high risk status is just a notation w/o a pathway to vaccination. They can’t even get in a line unless they check another box that has access. It was an over site
2 Likes
That’s not broken. That’s not agreeing with the criteria chosen to determine who goes first. Very different.
1 Like
Not really the same because:
(1) People should be masked while on indoor rides, but not at restaurants while eating; and
(2) People will likely spend more time at a restaurant than at a ride (some exceptions for rides with long indoor cues).
4 Likes