VACCINE PLANS: SO FAR, SO GOOD — MOSTLY

With massive public interest in the rapid development and successful testing of COVID-19 vaccinations, related government decisions are under the microscope like never before.

It is a cause for bafflement why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Nov. 20 it would have its advisory committee discuss emergency authorization of the vaccine developed by Pfizer — in 20 days! The FDA has presented no case that a delay until Dec. 10 is necessary to get more information on the extensive trials already done on the vaccine. Such a delay could kill thousands. The British government figured this out and became the first Western nation to approve use of the Pfizer treatment on Wednesday.

But on other fronts, mobilization for the mass, free distribution of Pfizer’s vaccination — and one by Moderna that has also been massively tested and had excellent results — seems to be proceeding thoughtfully and thoroughly. A Centers for Disease Control advisory committee on Tuesday approved recommendations that residents and employees of long-term care facilities and frontline health care workers be the first Americans to be vaccinated.

This was followed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday unveiling the state’s plan to give initial priority for vaccinations to frontline health care workers directly caring for COVID-19 patients, residents and employees in long-term care facilities, emergency medical responders and staff in dialysis centers. The state’s plan would next prioritize workers in community clinics, pharmacy staff, laboratory employees and home health care workers.

San Diego County has similar plans for initial distribution of the 28,000 vaccinations expected to arrive mid-month. The county appears to be giving people with underlying medical conditions a slightly higher priority than the state when it comes to the second round of vaccinations and teachers a higher priority in the third round. In coming weeks, we may well see battles over who should be prioritized — janitors or secretaries, bookkeepers or truck drivers, etc. — as more vaccinations become available and those most at risk have already been inoculated. But so far, none of these plans are controversial. All are grounded in science.

There is also good news on the vaccine promotion front. Local, state and federal officials are aware that up to one-half of the public — especially those in communities of color — is likely to be skeptical of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Some are wary of all vaccines. Some worry about the speed with which the treatments were developed — and President Donald Trump’s repeated attempts to politicize their development.

But the bipartisan group of ex-presidents who announced last week that they would be an eager part of vaccination promotion efforts should help depoliticize the information campaign. Democrats Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and Republican George W. Bush said they’d be happy to get vaccinated on live television. Having Trump abandon his election posturing in favor of TV appearances urging his voters to get inoculated would also be a great help. To reach younger Americans with different media preferences than older folks, campaigns using Tiktok, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter and more make sense. Not just governments but philanthropists should fund these efforts.

Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, took to Twitter on Friday to encourage people to post photos of when they are inoculated. One-on-one efforts to help friends and family members overcome doubts are crucial. With cases soaring and 275,000-plus Americans already dead, all of us should help out however we can.