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Across the U.S., millions of medically vulnerable people initially named as a top vaccine-priority group have slowly slumped down the list as the CDC amended its guidelines to favor elderly people regardless of physical condition, and workers across a wide . of job sectors, according to the AP. According to Jen Kates of the Kaiser Family Foundation, North Carolina is just one of 24 states that currently place people under 65 with “underlying medical conditions” at the bottom of the pack to receive the vaccine. A report she wrote last month listed Pennsylvania as the only state to make vaccines available to the medically vulnerable during the initial stage of distribution. When North Carolina unveiled its first guidelines in October, it placed people with multiple chronic conditions at the top of the list. However, in response to the CDC’s recommendations in December to prioritize people 75 and older, those with chronic conditions were dropped to phase 2.
When guidelines changed again to extend eligibility to over-65s, medically vulnerable residents learned in January that they would be transferred to phase 4 – to be vaccinated after “essential frontline workers” but before “everyone.” The state’s top public health official says these residents have been moved down after health officials received data showing that older residents are much more likely to die from COVID-19. In response to the frustrations of such patients, states are now re-reviewing their guidelines. As of Monday, 28 states, including North Carolina, had at least partially opened up statewide eligibility for vaccines for people with high-risk medical conditions, Kates says. Four other states are making the vaccine available to medically vulnerable residents living in certain counties. Maura Wozniak, a 42-year-old Charlotte resident who has cystic fibrosis, wept with relief after learning that she will soon be eligible. “At least there’s a certain window now,” she says.
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