“Larger populations are whiter,” said Harald Schmidt, an expert in ethics and health policies at UPenn
The debate over who should receive COVID-19 vaccines has intensified after suggesting that priority should be given to older people because they are more likely to be white.
“Larger populations are whiter,” Harald Schmidt, an ethics and health policy expert at the University of Pennsylvania, explained in an interview with the New York Times.
‘Society is structured in a way that allows them to live longer. Instead of giving additional health benefits to those who already had more, we can start to level the playing field a bit, ”he detailed.
After the first week of deployment of vaccines aimed at health workers with high-risk functions, a federal group of vaccination experts will hold an emergency meeting over the weekend to recommend who should be next to vaccinate. se.
Based on a prior vote, the group is expected to recommend non-health care essential workers who have priority over the elderly in launching vaccination.
A 88-year-old Florida resident is seen taking the Pfizer vaccine on Wednesday. The debate over who should receive COVID-19 vaccines has since intensified
Schmidt defended his statements Friday in a series of tweets
The panel will have to vote on Sunday, but its orientation is not binding, because each state ultimately decides how to manage the distribution of vaccines.
Panel members are inclined to advance the “essential workers” because people like bus drivers, grocery store employees, and others who do vital chores that can’t be done from home are the ones most often infect.
In addition, race has entered the discussion, with some like Schmidt pointing out that essential workers are more likely not to be white than the elderly.
In a tweet Friday, Schmidt backed down his claims, stating that he “never defended prioritization solely on the basis of race.”
He went on to argue that isolation was easier for older people than essential workers, who may have no choice but to interact with the public through their workplace.
However, the remarks provoked backlash, and one Twitter user replied, “I can’t understand how anyone might think…. It’s always been about protecting the old man.”
Another idea: “Vaccines should be aimed at those most at risk of dying, and that depends, by far, on age. It’s good to know about racism alive in academia.
“So seniors aren’t just non-essential; they’re actually pretty expendable,” another said. 25-year-old liquor needs vax first “.
The vast majority of pandemic deaths have been among the over-65s. According to CDC data, people over the age of 85 are 630 times more likely to die from the virus than those aged 18 to 29.
At the same time, there have also been racial disparities in health outcomes. The CDC says Hispanics and blacks are 2.8 times more likely to die from the virus than whites.
The advice of the expert group (the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) is almost always endorsed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This happened earlier this month, when the group said that the highest priority should be given to health workers and long-term care home residents for the 20 million initial vaccinations this month.
However, it is unclear whether the CDC will follow the panel if it recommends prioritizing essential workers over the elderly for the next vaccination.
The director of CDC, Dr. Robert Redfield, has said he believes that priority should be given to people aged 70 or over living with children or grandchildren.
The chairman of the advisory committee, Dr. Jose Romero, said he was aware of Redfield’s comments, but had not spoken directly about them.
Redfield declined to say whether he would prioritize seniors over essential workers, even if the group recommended otherwise. “I look forward to hearing from the advisory group’s discussion and receiving their recommendation for consideration,” he said in an email.
I think we know this is not going to be perfect. We don’t have a vaccine for everyone right away, so we’re going to have to make tough decisions, ”said Claire Hannan, executive director of an organization that represents managers of state vaccination programs.
Last month an Amazon worker was seen at a Minnesota shipping center. Some argue that essential workers should have priority over the elderly when receiving a vaccine
If there are indeed essential workers, states already have different ideas about who should be closer to the front line.
In Nevada, for example, teachers and child care staff will be ahead of public transportation workers, according to the state’s current plan. Then come the agriculture and food workers, and then the retail and utility employees.
In South Dakota, teachers may have access earlier than those working in food and transportation. In Arkansas, the list of essential workers includes teachers, prison guards, police officers, packaging plant workers, and mayors.
Most states followed the group’s recommendation that health workers and residents of nursing homes receive the first doses. But there have been some exceptions.
Utah said long-term care residents should be behind health workers, rather than sharing the front with them. Massachusetts included prisoners and homeless people on the first level. Nevada, New Hampshire and Wyoming did the same with police officers.
State-to-state variations are likely to increase in the following priority groups, said Jennifer Kates of the Kaiser Family Foundation, which has been analyzing state vaccination plans.
“I think we’ll see states fall in different ways,” with some putting seniors ahead of essential workers, Kates said.
The director of CDC, Dr. Robert Redfield, has said he believes that priority should be given to people aged 70 or over living with children or grandchildren
Things could get tangled up. For example, some experts said that if a state prioritizes certain essential workers and a neighboring state decides to give priority to the elderly, people may try to cross state lines in hopes of getting vaccinated.
“This is one of the problems of not having a fully national immunization plan,” said Romero, who is also the head of the Arkansas state health department.
The proposal to the advisory committee is based on a broad definition of essential workers established in August by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It has hundreds of different jobs as part of its critical infrastructure staff, including first aid, teachers, communications technicians, weather forecasters, employees of wastewater treatment plants and people working in shelters. ‘animals.
According to estimates presented to the advisory committee, up to 87 million people who do not work in the healthcare field can be counted as essential employees.
The nation has more than 53 million seniors. The CDC also has more than 100 million Americans with underlying medical conditions that put them at greater risk for serious COVID-related illnesses, although there is an overlap between the two groups.
Trade associations and groups of workers have been sending emails and other communications to the committee, arguing that priority should be given.
Julie Russell, representing the Coronado Unified School District in California, urged prioritizing teachers and other school workers. “We ask you to recognize the importance of the safety of our staff and how many young lives each of us touches,” he said at a meeting last weekend.
Dr. Charles Lee, of the American College of Correctional Physicians, promoted those who work in prisons and jails, in addition to inmates.
Romero said the committee is likely to discuss ways to help states reduce which key workers should go first. For example, people who consider themselves essential but can work from home may be higher on the list than those who cannot keep within 6 feet of others while working.
What about Atlanta-based CDC staff? In a note to employees obtained by the AP, Redfield said the agency will not obtain a direct vaccine assignment. However, the Georgia plan allows some public health and lab workers to be in the state’s top priority group. Some CDC members also work in hospitals and clinics, and can be prioritized with staff at these sites.
Of course, when more vaccine comes out, “the issue of priority becomes less important,” said Dr. Eric Toner, a Johns Hopkins University scientist who has written about possible vaccination prioritization frameworks.
“The bottom line is that we just need to vaccinate as many people as we can,” he said.