Equity in vaccine distribution

[Anonymous]

If you have the means and the time, you can travel to far western MD, the Eastern shore of MD or NC and get the vaccine.

Those places have an abundance, so make the trip and free up shots in DC for those who cannot make the trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow--today's Post on the mismanaged vaccine rollout includes commentary about vaccince allocated to clinics for the underserved in the city. I see the funding boondoggle. At the end of the day, these agencies goals are not'outreach' or 'service'--it's just to perpetuate their own structures and paychecks. Ugh. If DC can't figure out efficient outreach and vaccinations through the very apparatus that claims to 'know the community' and receive funding towards that end, then that vaccine should be withdrawn from them and given out first-come/ first-serve at mass vaccination events. Shame on you Ms. Smith for your cynical defense of mismanaged resources! Shame on the city for zero oversight!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/vaccines-coronavirus-dc-virginia-maryland/2021/04/03/d63b7aa4-9303-11eb-9668-89be11273c09_story.html


"Finally, D.C. made choices about how to use the shots it did receive, which resulted in lower immediate usage of the doses. As residents of Whiter, wealthier neighborhoods have greatly outpaced poorer, majority-Black neighborhoods in vaccination rates, the city chose to allocate less than half of its doses to its citywide registration portal — where most available appointments are snapped up instantly by people savvy enough to navigate the system and eager to get vaccinated — and send the rest to hospitals, nonprofit health clinics and special programs such as clinics at churches and public housing buildings designed to reach poorer residents.

Tamara Smith, who represents the nonprofit health clinics as president of the D.C. Primary Care Association, said clinics have not shared the experience of some corners of the region, where people are keen to get vaccinated. Their clientele, who are mostly low-income people of color, are often ill-informed about the shots and are unaware that they qualify.

Of the nearly 39,000 doses that the clinics have received from the city and 5,600 from the federal government, they’ve used just over half so far, Smith said. The rest won’t go to waste — most clinics have not wasted a single shot — but they might sit on shelves for longer before the clinics can put them to use.

“The reason these federal government doses are coming to the health centers is so we can reach individuals that are disproportionately underrepresented. Yes, you could get it out to all the 25-year-olds that are White from affluent communities. They’d line up and get it. That’s not helping,” Smith said. “We really want to reserve the doses that the health centers are getting for people of color, immigrants, low-income folks. That’s the strategy.”

Smith said some clinics have also struggled to find extra nurses available for hire or to fit patients in their small spaces while observing social distancing. Months into the vaccine rollout, some clinics are still trying to find bigger venues that they can use and to recruit volunteers to help vaccinate. “They all got significant funding. Now it’s about logistics and space and staffing,” Smith said. “[b]They are all planning significant ramp-up strategies.”[/b]

They are planning significant ramp-up strategies? They’re in the planning phase now? They didn’t plan back in December, January, or maybe February? Now, when the virus is mutating into different strains they’re coming up with a plan? Where’s the face palm emoji? What a mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow--today's Post on the mismanaged vaccine rollout includes commentary about vaccince allocated to clinics for the underserved in the city. I see the funding boondoggle. At the end of the day, these agencies goals are not'outreach' or 'service'--it's just to perpetuate their own structures and paychecks. Ugh. If DC can't figure out efficient outreach and vaccinations through the very apparatus that claims to 'know the community' and receive funding towards that end, then that vaccine should be withdrawn from them and given out first-come/ first-serve at mass vaccination events. Shame on you Ms. Smith for your cynical defense of mismanaged resources! Shame on the city for zero oversight!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/vaccines-coronavirus-dc-virginia-maryland/2021/04/03/d63b7aa4-9303-11eb-9668-89be11273c09_story.html


"Finally, D.C. made choices about how to use the shots it did receive, which resulted in lower immediate usage of the doses. As residents of Whiter, wealthier neighborhoods have greatly outpaced poorer, majority-Black neighborhoods in vaccination rates, the city chose to allocate less than half of its doses to its citywide registration portal — where most available appointments are snapped up instantly by people savvy enough to navigate the system and eager to get vaccinated — and send the rest to hospitals, nonprofit health clinics and special programs such as clinics at churches and public housing buildings designed to reach poorer residents.

Tamara Smith, who represents the nonprofit health clinics as president of the D.C. Primary Care Association, said clinics have not shared the experience of some corners of the region, where people are keen to get vaccinated. Their clientele, who are mostly low-income people of color, are often ill-informed about the shots and are unaware that they qualify.

Of the nearly 39,000 doses that the clinics have received from the city and 5,600 from the federal government, they’ve used just over half so far, Smith said. The rest won’t go to waste — most clinics have not wasted a single shot — but they might sit on shelves for longer before the clinics can put them to use.

“The reason these federal government doses are coming to the health centers is so we can reach individuals that are disproportionately underrepresented. Yes, you could get it out to all the 25-year-olds that are White from affluent communities. They’d line up and get it. That’s not helping,” Smith said. “We really want to reserve the doses that the health centers are getting for people of color, immigrants, low-income folks. That’s the strategy.”

Smith said some clinics have also struggled to find extra nurses available for hire or to fit patients in their small spaces while observing social distancing. Months into the vaccine rollout, some clinics are still trying to find bigger venues that they can use and to recruit volunteers to help vaccinate. “They all got significant funding. Now it’s about logistics and space and staffing,” Smith said. “They are all planning significant ramp-up strategies.”

this made my blood boil. they’ve had MONTHS and are just now ramping up? health centers sitting on doses need to demonstrate they are making serious, proactive attempts to get their clients in, or give the doses back. This is a travesty they are going to blame on “vaccine hesitancy” instead of their own incompetence.

[Anonymous]

I like that 25 year olds, presumably with health problems, getting the vaccine in an efficient manner is "not helpful" according to Smith ^
I think that is my favorite line, and we are ramping up is #2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have the means and the time, you can travel to far western MD, the Eastern shore of MD or NC and get the vaccine.

Those places have an abundance, so make the trip and free up shots in DC for those who cannot make the trip.

The shots are freed up. They are in fact, sitting in fridges across the city, dontcha' know?

[Anonymous]

Idiots. And their incompetence is literally killing people. How do they sleep at night?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are white and live in NW, the only excuse you have for not being vaccinated is stupidity. I’m white and live in NW and got vaccinated last year by simply lying. Literally all of my friends in NW DC have used lies, connections, $, etc to get vaccinated. I understand why communities of color can’t access the vaccine, eg, lack of money, drive, connections, sophistication. But it boggles my mind to hear whites claims they can’t get vaccinated.

You sound like a despicable person. I know plenty of people in NW DC (I am not sure where white comes into it, though socio-economics may. MY NW neightbors are prettyy diverse) patiently waiting. I agree at this point, there is not point in patiently waiting and get it wherever/whenever you can because the city is not interested in vaccinating anyone--but I don't condone lying to get one a month ago when we all thought the city was actually trying (perhaps in a bumbling way) to do the right thing. Now, the proof is simply in the numbers.

And you sound like someone who is naive to the point of outright stupidity. Does it actually surprise you that the DC gov is sitting on tens of thousands of doses to give to the blacks only? Btw, let me correct you: I got vaccinated last YEAR, not last MONTH. I wouldn’t trust this corrupt, low IQ DC gov with my health for 1 second, let alone a week or a month. You should just keep waiting for your equity number to get called. 😂😂😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have the means and the time, you can travel to far western MD, the Eastern shore of MD or NC and get the vaccine.

Those places have an abundance, so make the trip and free up shots in DC for those who cannot make the trip.

Be careful though. Elissa Silverman will post snarky tweets about you if you do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have the means and the time, you can travel to far western MD, the Eastern shore of MD or NC and get the vaccine.

Those places have an abundance, so make the trip and free up shots in DC for those who cannot make the trip.

Be careful though. Elissa Silverman will post snarky tweets about you if you do that.

At this point anyone who has a pulse who wants a shot ahould get it. F* WEneedmorevacxine. We NEED shots off shelves!

[Anonymous]

DC folks (and MD and VA): The Greenbelt FEMA vaccine site is officially open to you. Go to this website:
https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/vaccine

Register for one of the FEMA sites: Greenbelt, Salisbury or M&T Stadium and get yourself vaccinated.

It's time. No more waiting for the clunky DC system to come through. Just get thyself a vaccine. It's allowed. It's part of the system for you to get a federally provided vaccine if you want it. You're not cutting the line.
It's for 16 and up. No pre-existing conditions required.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have the means and the time, you can travel to far western MD, the Eastern shore of MD or NC and get the vaccine.

Those places have an abundance, so make the trip and free up shots in DC for those who cannot make the trip.

The shots are freed up. They are in fact, sitting in fridges across the city, dontcha' know?

And they only last for 6 months frozen. How old are they now, 4 months?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are white and live in NW, the only excuse you have for not being vaccinated is stupidity. I’m white and live in NW and got vaccinated last year by simply lying. Literally all of my friends in NW DC have used lies, connections, $, etc to get vaccinated. I understand why communities of color can’t access the vaccine, eg, lack of money, drive, connections, sophistication. But it boggles my mind to hear whites claims they can’t get vaccinated.

You sound like a despicable person. I know plenty of people in NW DC (I am not sure where white comes into it, though socio-economics may. MY NW neightbors are prettyy diverse) patiently waiting. I agree at this point, there is not point in patiently waiting and get it wherever/whenever you can because the city is not interested in vaccinating anyone--but I don't condone lying to get one a month ago when we all thought the city was actually trying (perhaps in a bumbling way) to do the right thing. Now, the proof is simply in the numbers.

And you sound like someone who is naive to the point of outright stupidity. Does it actually surprise you that the DC gov is sitting on tens of thousands of doses to give to the blacks only? Btw, let me correct you: I got vaccinated last YEAR, not last MONTH. I wouldn’t trust this corrupt, low IQ DC gov with my health for 1 second, let alone a week or a month. You should just keep waiting for your equity number to get called. 😂😂😂

Troll. Race baiting troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have the means and the time, you can travel to far western MD, the Eastern shore of MD or NC and get the vaccine.

Those places have an abundance, so make the trip and free up shots in DC for those who cannot make the trip.

The shots are freed up. They are in fact, sitting in fridges across the city, dontcha' know?

And they only last for 6 months frozen. How old are they now, 4 months?

The city deems it important that they "just chill"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What more is the government supposed to do to get Black and Hispanics to get a vaccine? They are literally going door to door and waiting at bus stops and metro exits to assist/escort folks to vaccine appt.

Quite frankly - at this stage of the vaccine rollout - I am not sure what else can be done. Shall we offer all minorities a monetary reward to get a vaccine? Is that fair to the thousands of other residents who want but can not get a vaccine?

+1

We'll, I saw a flyer online for a Ward 8 event this weekend where they are also handing out $25 gift cards to residents who get the vaccine. No idea where the money is coming from. But yes, seems that they are now offering a monetary reward. Both the reward the gift card is only available to those from certain zip codes.

Some of these priority Ward-targeted initiatives are open to all adults, not just ones with age or medical or employment eligibility. So now DC's distribution plan is throwing actual medical prioritization out in favor of social engineering??

Here's the referenced article in the Post. It sounds like this extreme rationing hasn't even been necessary.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/coronavirus-dc-maryland-virginia/2021/04/02/9dc4c3d2-93c2-11eb-9668-89be11273c09_story.html

I think that is fine, actually. It is good for that high-risk, high-spread community to vaccinated. It does help at all. My issue is that every day there are dozens of available appointments at CVS that are wide open, but as we saw from the health forum are going to MD eligible who get rerouted here. For DC, it is only available to teachers, health care workers, and priority zip codes, so that means MD folks are getting them (or people who are lying). I've called the mayor's office, emailed them several times, called the hotline. I finally got up and drove to Salisbury.

I’m the MD poster you mention, I think. I got a second dose as scheduled at CVS today. Presented my MD DL. No questions were asked. Then I saw this:

https://dcist.com/story/21/04/05/dc-vaccine-pharmacies-appointments/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are white and live in NW, the only excuse you have for not being vaccinated is stupidity. I’m white and live in NW and got vaccinated last year by simply lying. Literally all of my friends in NW DC have used lies, connections, $, etc to get vaccinated. I understand why communities of color can’t access the vaccine, eg, lack of money, drive, connections, sophistication. But it boggles my mind to hear whites claims they can’t get vaccinated.

You sound like a despicable person. I know plenty of people in NW DC (I am not sure where white comes into it, though socio-economics may. MY NW neightbors are prettyy diverse) patiently waiting. I agree at this point, there is not point in patiently waiting and get it wherever/whenever you can because the city is not interested in vaccinating anyone--but I don't condone lying to get one a month ago when we all thought the city was actually trying (perhaps in a bumbling way) to do the right thing. Now, the proof is simply in the numbers.

And you sound like someone who is naive to the point of outright stupidity. Does it actually surprise you that the DC gov is sitting on tens of thousands of doses to give to the blacks only? Btw, let me correct you: I got vaccinated last YEAR, not last MONTH. I wouldn’t trust this corrupt, low IQ DC gov with my health for 1 second, let alone a week or a month. You should just keep waiting for your equity number to get called. 😂😂😂

Troll. Race baiting troll.

+1

But DC Gov has been screwing the pooch on this. The feds haven't helped either. We're just stuck in the middle.