Doctors group wants more vaccine control
Says physicians should become a provider of J&J
A doctors group in Chicago says physicians should become key providers of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, because they are best suited to overcome patients’ skepticism.
The request came as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration on Friday said use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine could resume after a pause due to a rare clotting disorder that was reported in roughly two of every 2 million doses. Advisers to the CDC said the vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risk against a virus that’s still killing about 1,000 Americans a day.
In anticipation of the vaccine’s resumption, the Chicago Medical Society called for making the shot widely available in physician offices.
“The problem now is the public is afraid,” said Dr. Vishnu Chundi, chairman of the Chicago Medical Society’s COVID-19 task force. “Johnson & Johnson has had all this bad press. The only person patients are going to trust is their doctor. Give the vaccine to the doctors to educate the public.”
Physicians have been able to distribute COVID vaccines, but relatively few have done so, in part because the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require special cold storage, mixing and scheduling of two doses. Johnson & Johnson, which may be stored at typical refrigerator temperatures and requires only a single shot, is much easier for medical offices to store and administer.
In response to the doctors’ request, Illinois Department of Public Health officials issued a statement that they plan to expand vaccine access to more providers within the next couple of weeks.
“As some local health departments decline first doses, those are being directed to counties still experiencing high demand,” the announcement stated. “Initially, vaccine was allocated to providers that could quickly vaccinate large populations — hospitals, local health departments, mass vaccination sites, pharmacies. With more than 50% of the population 16 and older in Illinois having received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, we are able to expand to additional providers for more targeted vaccination efforts.”
The Cook County Department of Public Health’s COVID response director, Dr. Jacqueline Korpics, wrote in an email that her office has been working with doctors all along. “We have worked with private offices from the beginning of our COVID-19 vaccination efforts and continue to encourage more private offices to apply to become COVID-19 vaccine providers.”
To be an approved vaccine provider, a county spokesman said, doctors simply need to apply through the state’s I-CARE vaccine provider registry and follow county guidance.
While some members of the public are skeptical of public health officials, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported, its poll found that individual health care providers are the “most trusted messengers” regarding information about the COVID-19 vaccines.