Covid Vaccine Distribution

[harllee]

Local news sources are reporting that my state of North Carolina will receive 85,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine next week. Those doses will be distributed to 12 hospitals around the state for vaccination of frontline Covid healthcare workers. The 12 hospitals were chosen because they have the low temperature refrigeration required by the Pfizer vaccine. It was reported that the vaccinations will be given over the span of a few days so that if any hospital workers have side affects and have to miss work those missing work will be spread out.

All 85,000 doses will be given now since a matching 85,000 doses will be distributed to our state in 3 weeks for the second dose.

Frontline healthcare workers will be vaccinated first. This will take more than the 85,000 doses. The second group to receive the vaccine will be long term care residents and people who work in those facilities.

How is distribution of the vaccine being handled in other states/countries?

 

[MichaelB]

As far as I can tell, Florida has a plan to develop a plan. So, the actual plan is still under development. Gov DeSantis did give a recorded message to the press where he confirmed the first available doses would be given to people in long-term care facilities, high-risk frontline health care workers, and those 65 and up and anyone with significant comorbidities. The Gov did, however, reassure everyone that no one will be forced to take a vaccination.

The a State Health Dept did release a plan, but it is 51 pages of non-specific detail. http://ww11.doh.state.fl.us/comm/_p.../vaccination-plan/vaccination_plan_latest.pdf

My 93 year old mum lives in Florida in a senior care facility, so I do hope Fl authorities are true to their word and she is among the early recipients.

 

[cathy63]

Here's the plan for every state: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...e-distribution-plans-links-all-50/6481199002/

For the initial doses, California is doing about the same thing as North Carolina. The doses we get will go to health workers, but there will not be enough to vaccinate them all.

DH and I are in the final phase on the CA plans, and we hope to get the first dose by next May or June.

 

[Bamaman]

VP Pence was in Memphis last Wednesday to meet with Fred Smith at FedEx. They already warehouse and deliver much of the medical supplies in the U.S. And FedEx will have a big part of distributing Pfizer's vaccine that will be delivered in special packaging and requiring dry ice to keep it frozen hard.

When the vaccine gets to its intended location, the vaccine's thawed out and used within a day.

This is going to be a massive distribution. Decisions must be made on where the vaccines are going and labels printed up and placed on the packages. I'm thinking McKesson will be part of the supply chain--administering. Politics will be involved.

One big problem is the lack of dry ice. There may not be enough. And all the vaccines need to be delivered overnight--absolutely, positively.

About a month after the initial deliveries are completed, they've got another mass shipment to the same places--dose #2.

All of this is in addition to the massive volume of Christmas packages going on until after Christmas. And on top of that, FedEx and UPS are 6,000 delivery trucks short already with COROVID problems reducing truck components for assembly--and few trucks on dealer lots.

I'm sure thousands of people are going to give it their best. Only time will tell how successful the deliveries will be--starting in just a few days.

 

[Freedom56]

Our doctors at UCLA informed us during our recent annual physicals that we can expect to be vaccinated towards the end of 2021. First responders, medical personnel, and high risk population come first. We aren't in any rush.

 

[Sunset]

I fully anticipate a long wait until vaccines come around to us.
Perhaps if I fatten up a lot, I'll qualify faster

Otherwise I expect it will take until at least the summer to get close to us, and that's only if they do age groups in blocks of 10 or 20 yrs. If phase 2 is everyone under age 65, then there will be shortages all over.

Like the shingles shots, folks in some cases had to scramble to get their second dose due to shortages.

 

[W2R]

Seems like Louisiana is going to get started with the vaccinations pronto:

Gov. John Bel Edwards pledged Tuesday the state would administer all 79,000 doses of the first batch of vaccines in Louisiana within 48 hours of receiving them, as he expressed confidence in the state’s ability to undertake the mass immunization effort starting this month.

Edwards, who joined governors from Tennessee, Florida and Texas at the White House for a vaccine summit, said he expects 39,000 doses of Pfizer’s vaccine as soon as this week, depending on federal approval, followed by another 40,000 doses a week later.

The Louisiana Department of Health said 73,000 people who live or work in long-term care facilities is included in the first phase of the vaccine rollout, which is expected to stretch into January. That includes 25,000 nursing home residents, 30,000 nursing home staff and people in skilled nursing facilities, adult residential care facilities, state-run veterans homes and others.

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_r...cle_e4838882-39a7-11eb-9db7-1f16f8f6f357.html

Seems like a monumental endeavor, especially if they are only getting relatively small shipments of vaccine like this each month. The population of Louisiana in 2019 was 4,648,794 people.

 

[Alan]

Similar distribution process in England, hospitals only at first because of the refrigeration issues. They are only going to give the first dose for half the quantity they have on hand, reserving the the other half for shot 2. This in case of supply or production problems. A spokesman from the production site in Belgium was on TV yesterday explaining why the production rate is half of what Pfizer initially said it would be. It is complicated to manufacture in bulk and keep within spec.

Groups are as follows:

1) Frontline healthcare workers and Care Home residents. - accounts for 1/3 of deaths in UK to date but is less than 1% of the population.

2) Over 80's - less than 10% of population and accounts for another 1/3 of deaths to date.

3) Over 75's and medically vulnerable

4) Over 70's

5) Over 65's

6) 18 - 64 year olds

 

[harllee]

I fully anticipate a long wait until vaccines come around to us.
Perhaps if I fatten up a lot, I'll qualify faster

Otherwise I expect it will take until at least the summer to get close to us, and that's only if they do age groups in blocks of 10 or 20 yrs. If phase 2 is everyone under age 65, then there will be shortages all over.

Like the shingles shots, folks in some cases had to scramble to get their second dose due to shortages.

What the health director in NC said about the second dose--they are guaranteed the second dose from Pfizer for everyone getting the first dose. There is some sort of computer program they are using for the second dose that makes sure the right person gets it. So hopefully (!!) there will not be the mess we had with the Shingles vaccine second dose.

I worry that doses of the vaccine could be stolen and there could be a black market. I hope they are protecting these doses with armed guards.

 

[bmcgonig]

Similar distribution process in England, hospitals only at first because of the refrigeration issues. They are only going to give the first dose for half the quantity they have on hand, reserving the the other half for shot 2. This in case of supply or production problems. A spokesman from the production site in Belgium was on TV yesterday explaining why the production rate is half of what Pfizer initially said it would be. It is complicated to manufacture in bulk and keep within spec.

Groups are as follows:

1) Frontline healthcare workers and Care Home residents. - accounts for 1/3 of deaths in UK to date but is less than 1% of the population.

2) Over 80's - less than 10% of population and accounts for another 1/3 of deaths to date.

3) Over 75's and medically vulnerable

4) Over 70's

5) Over 65's

6) 18 - 64 year olds

I'm not sure whether to be happy or resentful that at 64 I'm lumped in with the 18yr olds...[emoji4]

 

[USGrant1962]

Here's the plan for every state: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...e-distribution-plans-links-all-50/6481199002/

...

FWIW, the source of that article including the Federal guide is here: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/covid19-vaccination-guidance.html

Scroll down to find your state.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

One big problem is the lack of dry ice. There may not be enough. And all the vaccines need to be delivered overnight--absolutely, positively.

Also, I worked with dry ice in one of my early lab jobs, and it presents a suffocation danger in enclosed spaces if enough carbon dioxide is released. Normally that's not a huge issue...unless you have a very large quantity of it in a small, enclosed space, like a plane or delivery van. They will have to make sure that these spaces receive adequate ventilation when workers will be entering.

And those receiving and storing the shipments need to have protective gloves on -- at minimum, they need cotton liner gloves under the latex gloves, to protect their fingers from frostbite damage, which could occur in a very few seconds from handling dry ice directly.

 

[audreyh1]

I'm not sure whether to be happy or resentful that at 64 I'm lumped in with the 18yr olds...[emoji4]

Yeah, at 61 that bugs me a bit. How about the 50-64 group?

 

[Alan]

Yeah, at 61 that bugs me a bit. How about the 50-64 group?

I stopped listening once they got to our age group

An extended list is as follows:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...nterim ranking of priorities,in, older adults.

What is the ranking of prioritization for the new COVID-19 vaccines?
This interim ranking of priorities is a combination of clinical risk stratification and an age-based approach, which should optimise both targeting and deliverability. A provisional ranking of prioritisation for persons at-risk is set out below:

1. older adults’ resident in a care home and care home workers
2. all those 80 years of age and over and health and social care workers
3. all those 75 years of age and over
4. all those 70 years of age and over
5. all those 65 years of age and over
6. high-risk adults under 65 years of age
7. moderate-risk adults under 65 years of age
8. all those 60 years of age and over
9. all those 55 years of age and over
10. all those 50 years of age and over
11. rest of the population (priority to be determined)

The prioritisation could change substantially if the first available vaccines were not considered suitable for, or effective in, older adults.

 

[JoeWras]

Also, I worked with dry ice in one of my early lab jobs, and it presents a suffocation danger in enclosed spaces if enough carbon dioxide is released.

My dad worked at the bottom of trenches with dry ice or liquid CO2. (This was to freeze pipes, creating a plug, so they could be repaired.) He had a few close calls since CO2 also puddles in low areas.

The dry ice thing thing, and possible shortages, has implications. It got me thinking about food shipping. Some companies use dry ice in their shipping. Could they get locked out of the market?

 

[braumeister]

My dad worked at the bottom of trenches with dry ice or liquid CO2. (This was to freeze pipes, creating a plug, so they could be repaired.) He had a few close calls since CO2 also puddles in low areas.

I know of at least two brewers who have died from CO2 trapped in fermenters while they were inside them cleaning the walls. Also several more who had very close calls. Definitely not something to take lightly.

 

[Alan]

2 NHS workers suffered an allergic reaction after the vaccine.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...rs-regulators-reaction?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Prof Stephen Powis, the national medical director for the NHS in England, said: “As is common with new vaccines, the MHRA [Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency] have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination, after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday. Both are recovering well.
.

The only thing that is contraindicated with this vaccine (meaning you mustn’t have it) is hypersensitivity to the vaccine or any of the excipients (other things in the vaccine), but some people won’t know if they have hypersensitivity to some constituents of the vaccine.

“What would be wise, as the MHRA have already advised, would be for anyone who has known severe allergic reaction such that they need to carry an EpiPen, to delay having a vaccination until the reason for the allergic reaction has been clarified.

 

[foxfirev5]

I'm not sure whether to be happy or resentful that at 64 I'm lumped in with the 18yr olds...[emoji4]

I am in the same boat but have a feeling that once the first 2-3 groups are covered there will be a surplus easily available. My crystal ball predicts May 2021.

 

[brett]

We are in our late 60's w/ no health issues. We believe that we will get the vaccine in early/mid Q3. There are many people who should and who will have priority over us.

 

[harllee]

2 NHS workers suffered an allergic reaction after the vaccine.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...rs-regulators-reaction?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Thanks for this info about the allergic reaction. I have an allergy to aspirin (break out in hives) so I will be sure to have my epipen handy when I get the vaccine.

 

[regenaeb]

MA just released their plans yesterday through a press conference. Like other states medical personal treating Covid people first, first responders and health care workers in long term congregate settings (nursing homes). Also long term care patients. After that they will work through the high need cases first before getting to the 65+ age group. I would fall into category 3 available to general public. I am only 44 and have an autoimmune disease that I take a biologic for but it is not considered a comorbidity at this point, so I suspect I will not receive until sometime in the second quarter.

But I also have the opportunity to maybe receive it earlier in the second quarter. I live on a military base and receive my medical care from the military health clinic. So the base is under DOD management and will be getting their own supply, not from the state of MA. My hope is they get enough in through the first quarter and once all military personnel and health care workers get it they will start vaccinating dependents that receive care on base. So either from the DOD or from out in public CVS, I am hoping to get it as soon as I am eligible.

 

[harllee]

My Mother, age 88, called me in tears this morning. She had been so hopeful for the vaccine but her doctor has told her she should not take the Pfizer vaccine--she has a history pf anaphlylactic shock to foods and medications. A couple of medical people who have taken the Pfizer vaccine in the UK have gone into serious allergic shock and they are now saying people who have had serious allergic reactions to medicine should not take this vaccine. I may not be able to take it either since I am allergic to aspirin.

 

[MichaelB]

My Mother, age 88, called me in tears this morning. She had been so hopeful for the vaccine but her doctor has told her she should not take the Pfizer vaccine--she has a history pf anaphlylactic shock to foods and medications. A couple of medical people who have taken the Pfizer vaccine in the UK have gone into serious allergic shock and they are now saying people who have had serious allergic reactions to medicine should not take this vaccine. I may not be able to take it either since I am allergic to aspirin.

Yes, iwe need to know a bit more before getting vaccinated. Good thing there are other vaccines in development, hopefully your DM will be able to take another, such as the Moderna vaccine.

 

[Sojourner]

I am in the same boat but have a feeling that once the first 2-3 groups are covered there will be a surplus easily available. My crystal ball predicts May 2021.

This is pretty much what I'm expecting, as well. At 52 and in good health, I would guess I'll be able to get my first shot in May at the latest. This is because I think there will be at least three vaccines being widely distributed by then (Pfizer, Moderna, J&J) and there will be significant numbers of people who will choose not to be vaccinated, even in the higher risk groups. Heck, if the surveys are right and 35-40% of the population are anti-vaxxers when it comes to COVID, us healthy fifty-somethings might even be able to get our first shots in April, or even sooner!

 

[HenryD]

... us healthy fifty-somethings might even be able to get our first shots in April, or even sooner!

I hope you are right. It would go a long way to making me feel better about next summer. Maybe we'll even get to visit Canada again?!