Prioritize vaccines

The COVID-19 vaccination landscape has changed with the spread of the new variants with much more effective spread characteristics. The vaccination plans need to be updated to having the singular goal of saving as many lives as possible in the next 12 to 16 weeks. The CDC and advisory boards had in mind a multi-goal balancing act when they came up with the vaccination categories. The goals were to reduce the spread, limit the financial and educational disruption and save lives. The new, revised goal has to change to saving lives alone. Time is of the essence. Please streamline 1b.

To illustrate this change in conditions, please consider this thought experiment. Consider a ferry full of passengers. Some essential workers, and some senior citizens. A rogue wave wipes everyone off the deck and into the water. The captain (representing the governor) who somehow stayed on deck, is ready to throw the life preserver over to save someone (representing the short supply of vaccines). Every time he pulls in Michael Phelps (representing one of the essential workers) there is an increasing chance one of the seniors won’t make it. Who can tread water the longest?

We owe a great debt to essential workers. No question. However, as a statistical group, they are highly unlikely to die when infected. Look at the mortality statistics for the elderly. The current/ past multi-goal plan for 1b is now a terrible mistake. The transcript of that mistake will be shown in the death statistics moving forward. Let’s reconsider our approach before it is too late and save more Seniors. Michael Phelps might be tired, cold and wet, but he will eventually be fine.

It will take courage to make this change. Do we have the courage? We will all see very soon.

Larry Zollo Fairfield