Who is monitoring vaccine providers?
Health experts, consumer advocates say some vaccine oversight is warranted
When a San Franciscobased health care company came under fire this month over claims it didn’t properly screen the people it was vaccinating to be sure they were eligible, it set off a backlash and a question: Once vaccines are distributed, is anybody watching to be sure medical providers are following the rules?
Surprisingly, though, it’s also prompting caution from some health care experts who worry that cracking down too hard on bad actors could slow down the rollout as new variants of the deadly disease are gaining steam.
“It’s a balance,” said Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access, a Sacramento-based consumer advocacy group.
The debate over monitoring vaccine providers revved up this week after NPR published a report, based on leaked internal communications, alleging that One Medical, a high-end health care provider popular with tech companies, allowed people who were not eligible to book coronavirus vaccine appointments and get the coveted shot. Some of those people allegedly worked at the company or were friends or relatives of employees. Patients were allowed to sign up for a free trial to book a vaccine, and the company allegedly did not verify eligibility when people arrived for vaccinations.
One Medical has disputed the idea that it knowingly disregarded eligibility requirements, and the company says it has improved its vetting process.
The state has tapped Blue Shield to decide how vaccines are allocated, but it’s not clear how the government oversees who gets shots after vaccines are distributed. State health officials did not immediately respond to a question about whether they conduct audits, unannounced inspections or take any other steps to prevent health care providers from misusing vaccine. Santa Clara County requires vaccine providers to sign distribution agreements that assure only those eligible under California Department of Public Health guidelines are vaccinated. San Mateo says it has “ongoing communications” with providers to make sure vaccine is appropriately distributed. But it appears most of the policing comes after questions arise.
The governor’s office said Wednesday it will rework how it gets vaccine to vulnerable communities after news surfaced that appointment access codes were widely shared with people who were not eligible, allowing them to book appointments at mass vaccination sites, including the Oakland Coliseum.
In response to the One Medical controversy, several Bay Area counties, including Alameda, San Mateo and San Francisco, said this week they have stopped supplying the company with vaccine. San Francisco asked the company to return about 1,620 doses of Pfizer vaccine. Santa Clara County said it provided One Medical with about 300 doses for health care workers on the company’s staff but has no future plans to allocate more vaccine to One Medical.