Covid-19 Age-based vaccination rules are coming under fire

Younger people qualify in stages. Both states have made an exception for people who work in education.

David Margolis, living in Stamford, Conn. Lives, said he expected his 21-year-old son, who has a rare genetic condition that makes him more susceptible to a serious case of Covid-19, to be included in the next group. of people who qualify for the vaccine. Instead, he’ll have to wait until at least May, when Connecticut opens up vaccinations for its final group, 16- to 34-year-olds.

‘We were amazed. We were heartbroken, “said Mr. Margolis, 63.” How you just put this population of people with these underlying conditions aside is just beyond me. “

Disability Rights Connecticut, a nonprofit that represents people with disabilities, filed a formal complaint with the US Office for Civil Rights with the US Department of Health and Human Services last month over Connecticut’s new policy discriminating against people with disabilities .

Eligibility criteria for Covid-19 vaccines vary by state, but all have prioritized vaccinating their oldest residents and health professionals. The vast majority also follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to prioritize those with high-risk underlying medical conditions and essential workers.

Many states have gradually changed eligibility rules, causing confusion among residents. California temporarily reduced access to vaccinations for essential workers to speed up the process, but has since allowed food and farm workers to get vaccinated. On March 15, people with underlying medical conditions are eligible.

Officials in Maine and Connecticut say rolling out the vaccine based on age is a faster and more efficient method that will prevent more deaths. It eliminates the complications of choosing the professions and medical conditions to qualify and verifying that information. Also, state health officials concluded that age is the most important factor determining whether someone with a severe case of Covid-19 lives or dies.

“There is a lot of fear, justifiable fear, of contracting the virus,” said Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, at a press conference last week. “The decision we make is the one that will benefit the most people and save the most lives.”

She acknowledged that some people with underlying medical conditions would be disappointed by the change. Under the state’s new plan, the last eligible age group, 29 and under, can be vaccinated in July.

Josh Geballe, Connecticut’s chief operating officer who helps guide the state’s pandemic response, said prioritizing critical workers and those with underlying medical conditions was unworkable given the challenge of verifying occupations and health details.

Also, the number of Connecticut residents with a qualifying medical condition and essential employees could have been as high as 1.5 million, said Mr. Geballe. There are currently not enough vaccine doses for that, so the state should have created a different level of priorities within those groups, complicating the efforts, he said.

“Our strategy is really designed to make sure we move as quickly as possible, to reduce the number of deaths and serious illnesses from Covid, and also to give us the best chance to be fair in our vaccine rollout, said Mr Geballe. “We remain convinced that this strategy is the best way to achieve both goals.”

Many young essential workers were shocked to learn that they would have to wait longer for the vaccine. Allyson McCabe, a 21-year-old assistant front-end manager at a Stop & Shop in Simsbury, Conn., Called the state’s new vaccine regulations “a slap in the face.”

“We’ve been confronted with this Covid since day one, and we’re not really getting a thank you for that,” said Ms. McCabe.

Some medical professionals say the approach raises questions about fairness and could further exacerbate the inequalities caused by the pandemic.

“The question for society is: is that a fair approach? And in my opinion, I think we can take a different approach and have a more equitable rollout, ”said Bonnie Swenor, director of the Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center, who believes people with underlying medical conditions should be more likely to qualify .

Arthur Caplan, director of the department of medical ethics at New York University Grossman School of Medicine, said that given the difficult rollout of the vaccine in the US, it makes sense to prioritize age rather than attempting a dysfunctional system. to unload.

“I think our goal should just be to get it out there,” said Dr. Caplan. “Unfortunately, I am willing to sacrifice something on equity at this point.”

Write to Joseph De Avila at [email protected]