Let’s start with the big picture and some good news. There are downward trends in the key COVID-19 indicators – the number of new COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. But we know there is no good
news in 3,000 deaths per day and nearly 500,000 deaths since the pandemic started a year ago.
In terms of the vaccine, there is good news at a macro level. According to the Bloomberg COVID tracker, 48 million doses have been given in the U.S. with an average of 1.62 million doses administered per day, 14.6 doses have been administered for every 100 people, and 70% of the shots delivered to states have been administered. (as of 2/11/21 at 6:25PM)
There are more examples of mass vaccination sites with thousands being vaccinated in a single day at stadiums around the country. UC Health in Denver is offering a playbook for mass vaccination sites to other health systems – best practice sharing is something we do very well in healthcare.
Dr. Anthony Fauci projects that by sometime in April, the vaccine will be available to anyone who wants it. That seems very optimistic considering many states are just now in mid-February beginning to vaccinate anyone over age 75. President Biden says there will be enough vaccine supply to vaccinate 300 million in the U.S. by the end of summer.
Access issues continue with a lot of confusion and frustration for those in qualified groups trying to make appointments either online or by phone. It has become a family affair for many as younger family members try to help their elders figure out how to get vaccine appointments when there are multiple channels possible in their state or city and multiple different websites to go to. I applaud the various initiatives of software engineers in Massachusetts and New York who based on their own frustrating family experiences created a way for people to check availability of vaccine appointments. But we should not have to rely on such solutions. I would expect our government agencies to have made it simpler to begin with.
I just learned of another tool that notifies people via text message when there are leftover doses in their zip code so no dose goes to waste – Vaccination Standby List. According to the website, their mission is “to reduce COVID vaccine waste, reduce unnecessary lines and crowds at stores, reduce misinformation of leftovers, and allow as many people as possible to take advantage of any leftover doses”.
Disparities in vaccine distribution are real. We need more examples like the one in South Los Angeles where Dr. Jerry P. Abraham and the Kedren Community Health Center set up a walk-in site described in the Los Angeles Times article by Erika D. Smith on January 29, “Column: How a South L.A. doctor is beating the system and distributing vaccines equitably”. In Dr. Abraham’s interview on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show on February 5, he said that he and his team are extremely solutions oriented and recognized that people with no car, no Internet access, and no email needed a workaround.
When I shared that story on LinkedIn a colleague commented that I should look at what OCHIN is doing. They are a national nonprofit health IT organization with two decades of experience transforming health care delivery to advance health equity.
Health system leaders like Lloyd Dean, CEO at Common Spirit, understand the health disparity issue first hand and are taking steps to address. Dean’s commitment is clearly articulated in his recent article on LinkedIn, “Everyone Deserves the Same Health Care”. According to a Healthleaders article by Melanie Blackman on February 4, “Committed to Confronting Racism: Catholic Healthcare Systems Join the Cause”, 23 Catholic provider organizations, including Common Spirit, have signed a pledge to take steps to “achieve health equity”.
I am optimistic that the formation of the Biden-Harris Administration COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force will begin to address this issue more broadly. According to this press briefing, “the Task Force is charged with issuing a range of recommendations to help inform the COVID-19 response and recovery. This includes recommendations on equitable allocation of COVID-19 resources and relief funds, effective outreach and communication to underserved and minority populations, and improving cultural proficiency within the Federal Government.”
In closing, yes, there are positive downward trends in new cases and hospitalizations while every day more people are getting vaccinated. But we all must stay vigilant with masks and social distancing. I truly hope that Dr. Fauci’s projection on vaccine availability is right. As the vaccine supply becomes a non-issue, let’s make sure that having enough people to actually put shots in arms is not the next big obstacle.
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Vaccine rollout – it takes a village, part 2
Vaccine rollout – it takes a village
400,000 lives lost – finally a national strategy
Health leadership and priorities in the Biden Administration