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

Each state — and even some local jurisdictions — has established different rules about who gets vaccinated first and where it is distributed. In addition to the shortage of vaccine supply, the lack of a centralized registration system in many areas has led to a dose disruption.

As of Thursday, about 35.2 million doses had been administered in the U.S., out of about 57.5 million doses administered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Distribution blockages have resulted in a slower-than-expected vaccination rate.

In Rhode Island, Attorney General Peter Neronha is investigating whether two health networks vaccinated employees and others in accordance with state eligibility rules. “There has been special concern regarding the vaccination of board members, administrators and administrative employees who work primarily for telecommuting,” he wrote to Lifespan and Care New England executives in a letter seen by The Wall Street Journal.

“A small amount of bad optics can make you trust the system,” Mr. Neronha, a Democrat, in an interview. “In Rhode Island, which has a reputation for being the definitive state of ‘meeting a boy,’ because he’s very small and no one ever leaves, the lack of trust grows.”

Lifespan said board members received vaccines on the second weekend in January, when the health system opened up requirements for employees who did not interact with patients and volunteers. “We have been working closely with [the state Department of Health] and they followed their guidelines closely from the beginning, “a spokeswoman said. Care New England made no comment.

A spokesman for the state health department said hospitals were allowed to vaccinate their entire organization, including radiology staff, off-site employees and volunteers, and noted that they are “active in running a hospital.” .

Jay Egge, an 84-year-old retiree in Barrington, RI, said it made him feel hospital administrators and board members being shot. He said he was unlucky to be inoculated despite a number of medical illnesses that make him very vulnerable to Covid-19.

“If I’m in a row trying to get my fried clam sandwich and some idiot jumps in front of me, I don’t like it. It’s the same, “he said. But when it comes to Covid-19, “I’m afraid to survive.”

Some officials said that because the launch has involved so many jurisdictions with different rules, deadlines and supplies, it has been impossible for states or the federal government to make sure everyone complies with the rules.

“We’re not the vaccine police,” said Max Reiss, a spokesman for Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat. “We are relying heavily on local providers to make sure they vaccinate the most at-risk people in their communities.”

Stacey Griffith, a SoulCycle instructor, was flogged on social media after identifying herself as an educator so she could get vaccinated at a clinic in Staten Island, New York, and then advertise her gambit on Instagram.

“I made a terrible mistake in the trial and therefore I am sorry,” he posted on February 1st. He did not respond to requests for comment. A SoulCycle spokeswoman said the company does not encourage its employees to seek vaccines as educators.

“It doesn’t look like someone should have vaccinated me,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said when asked about Mrs. Griffith at a news conference.

After judges and staff at Reno, Nevada City Court received vaccinations at a medical clinic, City Manager Douglas Thornley said court employees had used personal relationships to circumvent Nevada guidelines.

“To me it is unconscious for someone to put their interests before those who need the vaccine first: among them, our healthcare workers, first responders and those over 70,” he said in a statement. “For at-risk groups, the vaccine can mean life or death.”

The judge who secured the shootings did not respond to requests for comment.

In DeKalb County, Ga., Which includes part of Atlanta and part of its suburbs, health workers found that some people who were issued QR codes allowed them to sign up for an appointment. vaccine and then shared them with friends, said S. Elizabeth Ford, county district health director.

“They brag about it on social media,” he said in an interview. “It surprised me.”

Hundreds of people have gone to county vaccination centers with copies of QR codes, claiming to be properly registered, Dr. Ford said. County workers make cross-references to actual records and retain shots of people who don’t have approval.

Beyond issues of legality and fairness, the line cut erodes public confidence in this historic vaccine launch, said Johns Hopkins University biomedical ethicist Ruth Faden.

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

—Katie Honan contributed to this article.

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