A TALE OF 2 STATES
Conn., N.Y. differ on vaccine distribution rollout
Over the border in New York, a cancer patient, a hotel worker, a 65-year-old and someone with obesity are all eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Vaccine distribution rollout has been different across the country and even within a few miles, depending on which side of the Connecticut-New York border you may be standing on. New York has prioritized essential workers and people with underlying health conditions or who are 65 and over for the vaccine.
That’s more than 7 million people, the state says.
In Connecticut, the list is simpler.
About 610,000 people became eligible on Monday when school employees and volunteers, child care providers and residents 55 and older qualified for the vaccine in Connecticut. Health care workers, medical first responders, and residents and staff at longterm care facilities and congregate settings were already eligible.
The large number of people eligible in New
York has created a backlog, somewhat similar to what those in Connecticut experienced Monday when they tried signing up for the vaccine. Still, Gov. Ned Lamont has stated that Connecticut’s process will be faster and simpler once the supply, which he expects to arrive soon, is in place. Citing higher death rates among older residents, he argued this system is the quickest way to protect those who are most at risk.
“Age prioritizes public health and age is simpler, and that means equity,” he said during his Monday afternoon news conference.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends states prioritize essential workers and people with underlying health conditions.
Each state has adopted its own process, but no one has a sense yet of the most effective way to distribute the vaccine, said Dr. John Murphy, president and CEO of Nuvance Health, a network with seven hospitals in Connecticut and New York.
“We’re conducting 50 experiments right now,” he said. “It would be important, actually, to step back and — maybe the feds can do this — and say, ‘Listen there are three really effective ways to do this and here they are.’ Or maybe there’s one way.”
“Maybe next time around, there is a playbook that we’ll all follow together,” Murphy said.
In Connecticut, it is easier to verify that patients are eligible, he said.
“It’s very easy to produce ID that says ‘this is my date of birth,’” he said. “You don’t need a whole lot of extra training to figure out how old somebody is, as opposed to saying ‘OK, so you do have serious pulmonary disease.’ That is a more nuanced determination.”
The disadvantage is that a younger Connecticut resident with health problems is at the back of the line, he said.
“There are not right answers here,” Murphy said.
Connecticut’s goal has been to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible, he said.
“Their point of view is: by May everybody is going to be eligible and we will have done the greatest good for the most people,” Murphy said.
Lamont estimated more than 1 million people in Connecticut have received their first dose as of Monday. Connecticut is within the top five states in the nation in terms of percentage of residents to get their first dose, with the New York Times reporting 20 percent of residents have at least one shot.
New York falls toward the end of the list, with 14 percent of residents getting at least the first dose. That state says it has gotten about 250,000 vaccines a week week for more than 7 million people who are eligible.
Appointment challenges
Among the Connecticut residents in the 55-to-64 age group to sign up on Monday was Ridgefield resident Michael Lordi. He works remotely for an energy company in New York, so he had initially tried to sign up in that state but learned he was not eligible.
But he got an appointment in Connecticut for his first dose of the Moderna vaccine on Thursday at CVS and will get the second dose on April 1. His wife, however, was unsuccessful.
“So, she’s not happy with me right now,” said Lordi, 58. “We both tried at the same time, but it was full. Right now, there is no possibility at this point in time to register in any of the options right now.”
He has a blood disorder that could put him at higher risk for serious illness from the virus, he said.
Lordi moved to Ridgefield from New York City over the summer. He, his wife and 22-year-old daughter had been living in a 29th floor apartment and moved due to COVID.
“The backyard, being able to go outside, was key,” said Lordi, adding he had previously lived in Ridgefield.
Lordi said there should be better collaboration allowing Connecticut residents who work in New York — or vice versa — to be vaccinated in the other state.
That kind of cooperation across the border is important, said George Latimer, Westchester County executive.
He said Connecticut opening vaccinations to those 55-to-64 is a good sign for those residents.
“Clearly, for those people who are in that area, 55 to [64], what Connecticut has done has been very supportive,” he said during a media briefing on Monday afternoon.
Supply challenges
Both states have faced supply shortages and have seen residents struggle to get appointments.
On Monday, tens of thousands of newly eligible Connecticut residents booked slots, but some could not find available appointments or needed to make one for the end of April.
Ten of the 19 state sites listed on New York’s website do not have appointments available as of Tuesday afternoon. “We’re dealing in a world of scarce product and high demand and we’re trying to manage it as best as we can,” Latimer said.
The Westchester County Department of Health, which serves 25 communities, has vaccinated almost 89,000 people between three clinics, he said.
In Danbury, the health department had distributed 5,450 first and second doses as of Monday afternoon. But vaccine supply is getting better, the mayor said.
“Every week, the dosage amounts are improving,” said Danbury Mayor Joe Cavo, adding the number of doses varies each week.
Danbury’s clinic is filled for the next two weeks, but the city plans to add appointments in the future and is scheduling a clinic for 1,000 educators this weekend.
A greater allotment of vaccines will help get shots in the arms of more residents, Lamont said.
“More vaccines helps,” the governor said. “More vaccines means more appointments. More appointments means more people are satisfied. Right now, we have a supply-and-demand disconnect.”
In New York, most state sites are open to all who are eligible, but some are limited to people in certain ZIP codes, said Ken Jenkins, deputy county executive in Westchester.
Connecticut has identified 50 ZIP codes and asked providers to ensure at least 25 percent of new vaccines go to vulnerable communities.
New York has also set up pop-up clinics with targeted groups at churches, health centers and community organizations, Jenkins said.
“They are temporary,” he said at a Monday news conference. “There isn’t a place to sign up for them. Those folks get reached out to directly.”
Pharmacies are for New York residents 65 and older to be vaccinated, Jenkins said. They have been getting between 100 and 200 doses a week, he said.
“That’s a challenge because there are many, many people that want to have the vaccine, that are eligible for the vaccine,” he said. “But there’s just not the supply to go around.”