With Covid-19 vaccine waiting lists in the millions, some skip the line

Each state – and even some local jurisdictions – have different rules for who is vaccinated first and where they are distributed. In addition to a shortage of vaccines, the lack of a centralized registration system has sparked a battle over doses in many areas.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 35.2 million doses had been administered in the US on Thursday, out of the approximately 57.5 million doses delivered. Roadblocks due to distribution have resulted in a slower than expected vaccination rate.

In Rhode Island, Attorney General Peter Neronha is investigating whether two health care networks have vaccinated workers and others in accordance with state eligibility rules. “There was particular concern about the vaccination of board members, administrators and administrative employees who primarily telecommute,” he wrote to Lifespan and Care New England executives in a letter reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

“A small amount of bad optics can erode confidence in the system,” said Mr. Neronha, a Democrat, in an interview. “In Rhode Island, which has a reputation for being the ultimate ‘know a guy’ state because it’s so small and no one ever leaves, that lack of confidence is really exacerbated.”

Lifespan said board members were offered vaccinations the second weekend of January, when the health system was eligible for employees who did not interact with patients and for volunteers. “We have worked closely with [the state Department of Health] and closely followed their guidance from the start, ”said a spokeswoman. Care New England did not comment.

A state health service spokesman said hospitals were allowed to vaccinate their entire organization, including radiology personnel, remote workers and volunteers, and noted that they “are active in the operation of a hospital.”

Jay Egge, an 84-year-old retiree in Barrington, RI, said it angered him to learn hospital officials and board members were getting shots. He said he has not been lucky enough to be vaccinated, despite a host of medical conditions that make him very vulnerable to Covid-19.

‘When I’m in line to get my fried mussels sandwich and an idiot jumps in front of me, I don’t like it. It’s just the same, ”he said. But when it comes to Covid-19, “I’m afraid to survive.”

Some officials said it was impossible for states or the federal government to make sure everyone is compliant because the rollout involved so many jurisdictions with different rules, timelines, and deliveries.

“We are not the vaccine police,” said Max Reiss, spokesman for Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat. “We place great trust in local providers to ensure they vaccinate the most at-risk people in their communities.”

Stacey Griffith, a SoulCycle instructor, was criticized on social media after identifying herself as an educator so she could be vaccinated at a clinic in Staten Island, New York, and posting her guess on Instagram.

“I made a terrible error of judgment and I am truly sorry,” she posted on Feb. 1. She did not respond to requests for comment. A SoulCycle spokeswoman said the company does not encourage its employees to seek out vaccines as educators.

“It doesn’t sound like someone who should have been vaccinated for me,” said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio when asked about Ms. Griffith at a press conference.

After judges and municipal court personnel in Reno, Nevada, received vaccinations at a medical clinic, city manager Douglas Thornley said court officials had used personal relationships to circumvent Nevada guidelines.

“It is unscrupulous to me that someone puts their interests above those who need the vaccine first: among them our health workers, first responders and seniors 70 and older,” he said in a statement. “For groups at risk, the vaccine can mean life or death.”

The judge involved in securing the shots did not respond to requests for comment.

In DeKalb County, Georgia, which includes part of Atlanta and part of the suburbs, health professionals found that some people who received QR codes that allowed them to sign up for a vaccination appointment then shared them with friends, said S. Elizabeth Ford. the district health director.

“They brag about it on social media,” she said in an interview. “I am shocked.”

Hundreds of people have gone to the province’s vaccination centers with copies of the QR codes claiming to be properly registered, said Dr. Ford. County employees referred to codes with actual registrations and included recordings of people who did not have approval.

Aside from questions of legality and fairness, the cutting of lines erodes public confidence in this historic vaccine rollout, said Johns Hopkins University biomedical ethicist Ruth Faden.

“Part of the reason people shouldn’t use their social advantage and their power is precisely because it undermines the whole system,” she said. “Why should I follow the rules when rich people, connected people, powerful people break the rules?”

—Katie Honan contributed to this article.

Write to Scott Calvert at [email protected] and Cameron McWhirter at [email protected]