New federal restrictions on COVID-19 vaccine eligibility cause confusion and anger

1 day ago

The caller national restrictions connected who tin get nan caller COVID-19 vaccines are causing anxiety, vexation and anger astir nan state arsenic group scramble to navigate nan confusing patchwork of rules.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

We're uncovering retired really nan caller national restrictions connected nan COVID vaccine are playing retired successful nan existent world. President Trump's wellness secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., narrowed who is eligible. And that is causing confusion, to opportunity nan least. NPR wellness analogous Rob Stein said pinch group who've been getting turned distant astatine nan pharmacy. Hey there, Rob.

ROB STEIN, BYLINE: Good morning, Steve.

INSKEEP: OK. So nan basal thought is that anybody who wants a COVID vaccine cannot needfully conscionable locomotion into a drugstore and get one, which was existent successful nan past. How's this playing out?

STEIN: You know, Steve, it's a mixed bag. The vaccines are only approved for group astir apt to get really sick from COVID because they're astatine slightest 65 years aged aliases person immoderate different wellness rumor that makes COVID peculiarly dangerous. Some group are still capable to get vaccinated, nary problem, because they're still eligible aliases do what's called self-attestation - conscionable show nan pharmacist, yeah, I'm eligible. But nan rules for really this activity alteration from authorities to state, truthful a batch of group are having a difficult clip getting vaccinated.

INSKEEP: And location are a batch of group who are trying because they've heard astir nan changing rules and they want to get successful nether nan wire, get nan changeable done. What are you proceeding from group trying to get a shot?

STEIN: Yeah. Yeah. For example, I talked astir this yesterday pinch Jason Mitton (ph). He's 55, lives successful Austin, doesn't want nan misery of getting COVID again, missing work. So he tried to get vaccinated past Friday earlier heading disconnected connected a business trip. But nan pharmacist refused, moreover though Mitton is getting treated for precocious humor pressure.

JASON MITTON: And he's like, well, do you person a doctor's note? And I said, no, I don't. He said, well, nan FDA standards opportunity that you don't qualify, and our argumentation is that we won't administer it unless you qualify. I deliberation it's ridiculous, honestly. I deliberation it should beryllium a person's correct to take to get nan vaccine aliases not. Right now it feels for illustration nan correct to get nan vaccine is being prevented, truthful I americium - I'm very angry astir that. To me, it's ridiculous. I - yeah. I'm angry astir it.

STEIN: You know, Steve, I'm proceeding tons of stories for illustration this. Some group get turned distant because they don't meet nan caller criteria. Some get told they tin only get a changeable if they travel backmost pinch a prescription. Some still get rejected moreover erstwhile they spell backmost pinch a doctor's order.

INSKEEP: Wow.

STEIN: I mean, yeah. I've heard astir group going from drugstore to pharmacy, expert to doctor, moreover sometimes authorities to state, hunting for a shot. And galore times, they conscionable don't want nan vaccine to protect themselves.

INSKEEP: Oh, meaning that they want they want it to protect different people, arsenic well. It's - that's what you're saying, right?

STEIN: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Many group want their full family to get protected, moreover if they're healthy. They don't want to drawback nan microorganism and past dispersed it to, say, you know, Grandma aliases Grandpa aliases immoderate very young kids successful nan family, personification whose immune strategy is anemic because possibly they person cancer. Allison Coach (ph), 32, healthy, lives successful Bristol, Connecticut. She's worried astir her dad, who's successful bosom failure, different family who person diabetes, 1 who precocious sewage a kidney transplant, not to mention her 16-month-old son.

INSKEEP: Wow.

STEIN: COVID tin beryllium rather vulnerable for babies.

ALLISON COACH: I'm very angry. I'm frustrated. I'm sad. I'm - you know, it's conscionable really upsetting. Why do I person to jump done hoops to do this? Yeah. It's benignant of scary, you know?

STEIN: So she's reasoning astir doing what immoderate different group are doing - conscionable saying she's eligible. But she has nary thought really she'll get a changeable for her baby, who isn't connected nan database nether nan caller rules either.

INSKEEP: Can thing amended nan business here?

STEIN: Well, everyone's connected nan separator of their seat, waiting for a large CDC gathering adjacent week. CDC advisers spell beyond nan FDA and rumor recommendations, circumstantial recommendations for who should get a shot. That could clear retired immoderate of nan roadblocks, fto pharmacists successful much states springiness nan shots, make nan shots disposable for free to eligible kids done a large national program. But Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired nan original members of this committee and replaced them pinch his own, galore of whom stock his antivaccine views, truthful nary one's judge precisely what they're going to do.

INSKEEP: NPR wellness analogous Rob Stein. Thanks for nan information, Rob.

STEIN: You bet, Steve.

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