Americaâs Lack of Paid Time Off Hurting Vaccine Rollout
As vaccines lag nationwide, employers and local governments are offering paid time off to boost jabs. But some workers are still slipping through the cracks.
Jeff Chiu/AP Photo
Farmworker Francisco Quintana receives a COVID-19 vaccine at a Santa Clara County mobile clinic at Monterey Mushrooms, an agricultural employer, March 3, 2021, in Morgan Hill, California.
As the director of the local health department in Oak Park, Illinois, Dr. Theresa Chapple does a little bit of everything. Reports of menacing wildlife, restaurant inspections, and environmental threats all pile up on her desk. But when the pandemic hit last year, her work became more singularly focused: to keep her community safe from COVID-19.
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Navigating these gray areas within the city of Long Beach has led to priorities that in some cases are very different from the county and state.
And while the city has won wide praise and national attention for its aggressive vaccination program, its vaccination decisions also have led to accusations of politicking, favoritism and exclusion of groups who play a big part in the city’s ability to function.
Consider:
Members of the Long Beach City Council were vaccinated against COVID-19 because they were deemed critical to the continuity of government. But that priority ranking has not been extended to most of their staff members, who handle day-to-day dealings with the public.