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'A slap in the face': Mainers with pre-existing conditions react to priority downgrade in new state vaccine plan
Older Mainers will now be vaccinated sooner, but for frontline workers and people with pre-existing conditions, the wait just got longer.
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Updated: 9:06 AM EST Mar 1, 2021
'A slap in the face': Mainers with pre-existing conditions react to priority downgrade in new state vaccine plan
Older Mainers will now be vaccinated sooner, but for frontline workers and people with pre-existing conditions, the wait just got longer.
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Updated: 9:06 AM EST Mar 1, 2021
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EXPECTING TO BE NEXT IN LINE MAY NOW HAVE TO WAIT MONTHS. WHEN THE STATE BEGAN VACCINATING PEOPLE IN THE PHASE 1-B GROUP... 42-YEAR-OLD LAURA SEAY... A PROFESSOR WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES... SAW LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. 1:43-53 I HAD PRE- REGISTERED TO GET THE VACCINE WHEN I BECAME ELIGIBLE AND THE SENSE THAT MY HEALTH PROVIDERS HAD WAS YOU KNOW PROBABLY IN MARCH, MAYBE EARLY APRIL IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE, SO I WAS HOPEFUL IT WOULD BE SOON SEAY THE GOVERNOR'S ANNOUNCEMENT FRIDAY... LEFT LAURA STUNNED. 2:30-44 IT FELT ALMOST LIKE S SLAP I THE FACE LIKE HERE WE'VE BEEN IN THIS SITUATION FOR SO LONG AND AND I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE TO MAKE DIFFICULT CHOICES, I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE TO PRIORITIZE DIFFERENT GROUPS, BUT IT JUST WAS LIKE WHY DID YOU PROMISE US THIS IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH IT SEAY JUST LAST MONTH... THE MILLS ADMINISTRATION SENT OUT AN UPDATE TO THE STATE'S VACCINE STRATEGY... WHICH STATED THAT "VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS" WITH HIGH-RISK MEDICAL CONDITIONS... WHO ARE AT A GREATER RISK OF SERIOUS ILLNESS AND FATAL OUTCOMES FROM COVID 19... WOULD BE NEXT IN LINE... ALONG WITH ESSENTIAL WORKERS... AFTER THOSE 65 AND OLDER STARTED GETTING áTHEIR VACCINES... 2:30-39 I KNOW THE GOVERNOR'S GOT A TOUGH TOUGH POSITION HERE I GUESS THE THING THAT'S FRUSTRATING IS THINGS BEING CHANGED MID-STREAM CALL MARK CALL IS CO- OWNER OF CALL'S SHOP 'N SAVE IN CORNISH... HIS EMPLOYEES... FRONTLINE, ESSENTIAL WORKERS... WERE áALSO SUPPOSED TO BE ONE OF THE NEXT GROUPS TO GET VACCINATED... NOW... A LOT OF HIS EMPLOYEES WILL HAVE TO WAIT MONTHS UNTIL THEIR AGE GROUP GETS THE GO- AHEAD... THE U.S. C-D-C GUIDELINES RECOMMEND THAT STATES GO THE ROUTE MAINE STARTED OUT ON... AFTER VACCINATING HEALTHCARE WORKERS... FOCUSING ON FRONTLINE ESSENTIAL WORKERS... LIKE GROCERY STORE CLERKS AND TEACHERS... THEN OLDER PEOPLE... AND THOSE WITH UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS. THE GOVERNOR ALONG WITH MAINE CDC BELIEVE THE áNEW GUIDELINES FOR THE ROLLOUT WILL SAVE THE MOST LIVES... 6:32-48 RECENT SCIENTIFIC DATA INDICATES THAT AGE IS AMONG THE STRONGEST INDICATORS OF WHETHER AN INDIVIDUAL IS LIKELY TO GET SERIOUSLY ILL AND EVEN DIE FROM COVID- 19 EVEN MORE SO THAN ANY OTHER RISK FACTORS INCLUDING UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS MILLS FRI. CDC PRESSER FOR MARK AND LAURA... AND OTHERS, TOO... THEY'RE JUST NOT SURE HOW MUCH FAITH TO HAVE IN THE PROMISES AT THE STATE LEVEL GO