California pediatricians can bypass MyTurn as they vaccinate children
Barbara Feder Ostrov
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State officials will allow pediatricians to bypass their cumbersome vaccine management system in a move intended to speed COVID-19 vaccinations for children.
The decision comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize vaccines for children ages 12 to 15 as early as this week, which would add 2.1 million kids to the number of Californians eligible.
The move is a tacit recognition of the problems that the massive, $50 million MyTurn system poses for doctors and smaller medical groups wanting to immunize their patients.
Sami Gallegos, press secretary for California’s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, told CalMatters that pediatricians and other doctors who treat children will not be forced to use MyTurn to obtain their patients’ vaccines. But she added that the state health department has not yet determined how the doctors will receive the doses.
May 8, 2021 6:35pm
California’s dentist and doctor lobbies say insurance companies are flush with cash after collecting premiums during the pandemic but paying fewer claims than usual and should foot the bill for expenses. (Getty/tuachanwatthana)
SACRAMENTO Treating patients has become more expensive during the pandemic, and doctors and dentists don’t want to be on the hook for all the new costs.
For instance, the box of 100 gloves that cost $2.39 in February 2020 costs $30 now, said Dr. Judee Tippett-Whyte, president of the California Dental Association, who has a private dental practice in Stockton.
Her practice used to rely on surgical masks that cost 20 cents each but has upgraded to N95 masks at $2.50 a pop. On top of that, her office is scheduling two or three fewer patients each day to accommodate physical distancing and give staff members time to disinfect between patients, she said.
May 8, 2021
State officials will allow pediatricians to bypass their cumbersome vaccine management system in a move intended to speed COVID-19 vaccinations for children, CalMatters has learned.
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The decision comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize vaccines for children ages 12 to 15 as early as next week, which would add 2.1 million kids to the number of Californians eligible.
The move is a tacit recognition of the problems that the massive, $50 million MyTurn system poses for doctors and smaller medical groups wanting to immunize their patients.
Subscribe
Sami Gallegos, press secretary for California s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, told CalMatters that pediatricians and other doctors who treat children will not be forced to use MyTurn to obtain their patients vaccines. But she added that the state health department has not yet determined how the doctors will receive the doses.
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Pediatricians can bypass MyTurn as they vaccinate children
The move is a tacit recognition of the problems that the massive, $50 million MyTurn system poses for doctors and smaller medical groups. Author: Barbara Feder Ostrov (CalMatters) Published: 10:46 AM PDT May 7, 2021 Updated: 10:47 AM PDT May 7, 2021
SACRAMENTO, Calif. State officials will allow pediatricians to bypass their cumbersome vaccine management system in a move intended to speed COVID-19 vaccinations for children, CalMatters has learned.
The decision comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize vaccines for children ages 12 to 15 as early as next week, which would add 2.1 million kids to the number of Californians eligible.