Some early doses of COVID-19 vaccine meant for health care workers go to researchers working from home

Chicago Tribune ^ | 1-6-21

[SJackson]

University of Chicago researcher Sarah Cobey has spent nearly a year studying the spread of COVID-19, but she was still surprised when her employer offered to vaccinate her against the virus.

An associate professor of ecology and evolution, Cobey does not work in a clinical setting and has no exposure to patients. But University of Chicago Medicine has included her and several thousand other remote or off-site employees in its distribution of vaccines intended for health care workers.

“It really makes a difference if you’re giving vaccines to people who are at the greatest risk of severe disease and death, compared to people who aren’t,” Cobey said, noting she’s at low risk. “Who’s getting vaccinated now, it is a matter of life and death.”

Just three weeks into the national vaccination program, the actions by UChicago Medicine add to questions over which people should get vaccinated first, when more groups can start getting shots and exactly who will qualify in each group — with details yet to be fleshed out in a system overseen by already strained state and local health agencies.

Federal guidelines adopted by the state of Illinois say shots for health care workers should go only to people who have direct or indirect contact with patients or infectious material. But in the quick rollout of the vaccine, heavy trust has been placed in health systems to interpret who qualifies.

UChicago Medicine opened up vaccination to all its employees, even those who, like Cobey, work from home. Other local health systems have made different choices. Loyola Medicine, which also has a large academic arm, said it has vaccinated only those workers who have direct contact with patients.

[SJackson]

Some are more equal than others.

Relevant regulation in one Illinois county, my understanding all the state.

Phase 1a: Healthcare personnel and Long-Term Care Facility Residents Currently, vaccine supply is limited. Following guidelines from the CDC, only people who are eligible in Phase 1a, healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents, can receive their vaccine at this time.

Healthcare personnel are defined as paid and unpaid people serving in health care settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials. Long-term care facility residents are defined as adults who reside in facilities that provide a variety of services, including medical and personal care, to persons who are unable to live independently.

[Jeff Chandler]

It pays to have connections.

[OVERTIME]

While this Work-from-home case is particularly awful, think of what other things this guideline states.

“Healthcare personnel are defined as paid and unpaid people serving in health care settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious material”

This means that the receptionist, accountant or janitor in an Optometrist’s office gets the vaccine before a 90 year old, with diabetes, living with family.

One more example of incompetence, or some more equal than others. Yawn.