Two southeastern Connecticut women who have sons with medical conditions that put them at risk for dire outcomes if they contract COVID-19 say they were stunned last month by Gov. Ned Lamont’s adoption of an age-based rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The governor’s Feb. 22 announcement that as of March 1 the vaccine would be made available to residents 55 to 64 years of age as well as teachers, school staff and child care providers caught off guard many who had been expecting him to say that those with underlying medical conditions and those working in certain essential jobs would be the next groups eligible for the shots.
As Greg Gonsalves, a professor of epidemiology at
Yale University, argued, an age-based rollout doesn t guarantee equitable distribution of vaccines. If you have access to resources, you re computer literate, and you have some savvy in working your way through the system to sign up for vaccines you re going to be first in line no matter what age class you re in, he said.
Moreover, he pointed out that an age-based approach also ignores racial disparities in Covid-19 risk. The risk of death for somebody who is African-American and between 55 and 65 may be higher than somebody who s over 65, for instance, Gonsalves said.
Listen • 3:46
Trinity Health RN Kayla Bennett gives Hartford, Conn., resident James Watts his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a neighborhood vaccine clinic at the at the Parker Memorial Community Center.
A number of states are breaking with federal guidelines and starting to vaccinate people by age group, drawing criticism from essential workers and people with underlying conditions who are getting bumped back in line.
In Connecticut, officials say they re trying to balance equity with speeding up the pace of vaccinations. Under a new vaccination plan that began on March 1, educators are still prioritized but essential workers like grocers, security officers and janitors, who would have been next in line, now have to wait until their age group comes up.
Some States Drop CDC Guidelines And Vaccinate People By Age Group
By Brenda Leon
March 3, 2021
A number of states are breaking with federal guidelines and starting to vaccinate people by age group, drawing criticism from essential workers and people with underlying conditions who are getting bumped back in line.
In Connecticut, officials say they’re trying to balance equity with speeding up the pace of vaccinations. Under a new vaccination plan that began on March 1, educators are still prioritized but essential workers like grocers, security officers and janitors, who would have been next in line, now have to wait until their age group comes up.
Some States Drop CDC Guidelines And Vaccinate People By Age Group
at 5:10 am NPR
A number of states are breaking with federal guidelines and starting to vaccinate people by age group, drawing criticism from essential workers and people with underlying conditions who are getting bumped back in line.
In Connecticut, officials say they re trying to balance equity with speeding up the pace of vaccinations. Under a new vaccination plan that began on March 1, educators are still prioritized but essential workers like grocers, security officers and janitors, who would have been next in line, now have to wait until their age group comes up.