LINCOLN, Nebraska (WOWT) – Pharmacies and health districts administering the COVID-19 vaccine to people who are not currently eligible are committing a felony offense, and there could be legal repercussions, said Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts , Monday during his press conference.
However, the governor said, there are no state repercussions for people receiving these vaccines, and he has no plans to take action against Douglas County to prioritize telecommunications workers over others. priority groups.
The governor said he had spoken with Douglas County Health Director Dr. Adi Pour, after that press conference, said there was “a bit of bad communication” and that Douglas County agreed to take corrective action. The governor tried to exploit the decision, calling it a “huge mistake” at his news conference on Friday.
“We are trying to make this a collaboration agreement with our local health departments. We believe we will do it for a long time. Dr. Pour told me she would work to improve communication with us regarding her plans,” she said. he said.
Ricketts was asked how those who do not meet the requirements for the COVID-19 vaccine under current state stipulations, who are currently 50 years of age or older. He said there could be some explanations for how some Nebraskans can be vaccinated “out of service.”
“Two Rivers has been advancing through the stages very quickly and of course we want to make sure we don’t waste any vaccines anywhere, so obviously we allow clinics, when they have open spaces, to offer it to people who it would be out of it, ”the governor said.
“We want to make sure we get these vaccines in someone’s arm as quickly as possible,” he said.
Vaccination of the governor
Ricketts, 56, said he had registered for his vaccination through the COVID-19 vaccine registration portal in Nebraska, but that he had not yet received notification that he was fit for the vaccine, and noted who does not yet qualify in Douglas County, where he resides. Douglas County opened vaccinations to residents 60 and older on Monday. The governor said he would love for the media to be able to cover his live vaccination once he is able to do so.
Nebraska health directors are allowed to make more flexible the way COVID-19 vaccines are distributed and administered to required age groups according to the state vaccine deployment schedule.
Where is Nebraska
The governor also said he has requested data on federal COVID-19 vaccination allocations from both the Trump and Biden administrations, especially because the population of Nebraska stands out younger than many states, but he has not been able to get either of them to “show us the math.”
Ricketts said he has been able to get anecdotal comparisons through discussions with other states and has been able to see that Nebraska gets its fair share.
“I think Nebraska is about to earn the right proportional amount, but like I said, I have no way of verifying that because the federal government hasn’t made these numbers public about … what the formula is and how they are doing, ”he said.
Answers from Dr. Anthone
Dr. Gary Anthone, the state’s chief physician, answered questions Monday about the efficacy and safety of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine.
He was also asked about reports of people receiving COVID-19 after vaccination. Dr. Anthone said there were no confirmed “vaccine discovery” reports in Nebraska, although Dr. Mark Rupp, an infectious disease expert at the UNMC, told 6 News Monday that it is happening.
Other topics
Before launching into an Ag Week program, which made up the bulk of Monday’s press conference, the governor reported that the state has 113 COVID-19 hospitalizations, roughly the same level we had in July 2021 He said the state has 38% of hospital beds. available, and 42% of the beds available in the ICU.
The governor makes several appearances this week related to Ag Week and shared his schedule at the conclusion of this presentation on Monday.
Check out Monday’s press conference
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