More shots soon
‘Honor system’ to be used for who has two comorbidities
Massachusetts officials are leaving it up to the honor system to determine who is eligible for coronavirus vaccines in scarce supply as the state presses forward with its three-phase rollout.
Seniors ages 75 and older will be able to schedule appointments to receive coronavirus vaccines beginning Feb.1 as the state moves into Phase 2 of its vaccine distribution plan, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Monday.
Next in line will be people over 65 and those with at least two comorbidities — like asthma, cancer, heat conditions or COPD — that put them at higher risk for severe illness or death.
But when it comes to determining who suffers from pre-existing conditions, Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders said it will be up to a system of “self-attestation” during a Monday press conference at the State House.
Former Inspector General and Pioneer Institute Policy Research Director Greg Sullivan chalked it up to “an honor system.”
“Experience has taught me if there’s a crack in the process, people will generally rush to exploit the vulnerabilities in the system,” Sullivan said, noting federal audits conducted ahead of the pandemic found 10% of all unemployment claims to be fraudulent.
“When people have opportunities to commit fraud, then the system becomes vulnerable. This gives us a perfect storm of people having the opportunity to jump ahead in line,” Sullivan said.
The state’s rollout has garnered its fair share of criticism for inequities and other problems as well, with Massachusetts currently ranked 29th in the nation for its per capita vaccination rate, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
State Rep. Mike Connolly, D- Cambridge, described a “botched” rollout so far, urging the state to adopt some form of central registration that would help residents find out when and where they will be eligible to get their shot.
Boston City Councilor and mayoral hopeful Michelle Wu called the vaccine rollout so far “confusing and slow.”
“It has perpetuated the exact inequities that we have seen devastating our communities throughout this pandemic,” Wu said, noting the city’s sole vaccination site is situated in Southie, which is not a particularly hard-hit neighborhood.
Wu on Monday filed legislation that would mandate vaccination sites in every residential zip code in Boston.
In announcing an expansion of vaccination sites — including new mass vaccination sites at Springfield’s Eastfield Mall opening Jan. 29, at Danvers’ DoubleTree Hilton Hotel opening Feb. 3, and the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston in early February — Baker indicated plans to open sites in Boston’s hard-hit neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan as well as Chelsea and Revere at private pharmacies.
No specific site locations were provided, but the state plans to have 165 sits available by mid-February including the pharmacy sites in partnership with CVS and Walgreens.