States prepare alternative COVID vaccine plans to maintain access

1 week ago

States alteration successful their policies for COVID vaccines this fall, which could impact readiness and put galore astatine likelihood pinch nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Your expertise to get a COVID changeable this autumn whitethorn dangle connected wherever you live. States are mounting up different policies astir vaccines successful consequence to concerns complete national leadership. NPR's Pien Huang reports.

PIEN HUANG, BYLINE: Washington authorities is banding together pinch its neighbors to create a West Coast Health Alliance. Dennis Worsham, Washington's wellness secretary, says it's a preemptive move.

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DENNIS WORSHAM: We're seeing thing hap that we're concerned, and we're not going to hold to spot really it plays out.

HUANG: Those concerns see unit and fund cuts astatine national wellness agencies, nan firing of salient doctors from vaccine advisory committees and nan firing of nan caller head of nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The tipping constituent came past week, Worsham says, erstwhile nan Food and Drug Administration put limits connected who's eligible for nan autumn COVID shot.

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WORSHAM: We arsenic an confederation will activity together to reappraisal nan information that is being put retired successful bid to make recommendations for nan group present successful nan authorities of Washington, Oregon and California.

HUANG: Dr. Erica Pan is head of nan California Department of Public Health.

ERICA PAN: I'm sad that we are successful this spot that we person to do this.

HUANG: But nan logic they're doing it, she says, is that vaccines do a awesome occupation of keeping group healthy.

PAN: Vaccines are 1 of nan astir important nationalist wellness interventions successful our lifetimes, aft sanitation. And they person saved, you know, millions of lives. And we want to make judge we proceed to do that.

HUANG: And nan proposal from nan national authorities nether Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is starting to diverge from those of master aesculapian groups.

PAN: You know, we do person concerns that entree and/or recommendations for safe and effective vaccines could alteration from nan national level.

HUANG: The CDC's existent vaccine advisory committee has not yet weighed successful connected who should get COVID vaccines this fall. In New Mexico, nan hold has prompted Gina DeBlassie, nan furniture caput for health, to rumor a nationalist wellness bid to make nan vaccines wide disposable astatine pharmacies.

GINA DEBLASSIE: The vaccines are anticipated to beryllium received successful nan authorities this month. We conscionable want to make judge that we're fresh to spell and capable to service New Mexicans.

HUANG: DeBlassie says nan request has been highest for those 65 and up.

DEBLASSIE: But we want to make it disposable for those that are successful high-risk populations aliases those that are caring for individuals that are successful that high-risk group.

HUANG: Massachusetts, which is starring a nationalist wellness collaboration successful nan Northeast, has announced that it's requiring insurers to screen vaccines nan authorities recommends. While states pinch Democratic governors person been zigging to protect vaccine access, nan Republican authorities of Florida has zagged. Yesterday, astatine a property conference, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo called COVID vaccines poison and said requiring them echoes slavery.

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JOSEPH LADAPO: Who americium I, arsenic a authorities aliases anyone other aliases who americium I arsenic a man opinionated present now, to show you what you should put successful your body?

HUANG: Ladapo announced that Florida will beryllium moving to extremity each vaccine mandates successful nan state. His agency did not respond to an question and reply petition from NPR. Dr. Susan Kansagra, pinch nan Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, says galore authorities laws are tied to what nan CDC's advisory committee recommends.

SUSAN KANSAGRA: While there's ever been immoderate variety authorities by authorities successful vaccine laws, what we're seeing now is an amplification of that.

HUANG: Given nan disorder and instability connected nan national level, immoderate states are looking to different sources for their vaccine recommendations. Kansagra says this tin beryllium confusing for consumers.

KANSAGRA: Talk to your provider. Get your accusation from a trusted root astir vaccines. And, you know, make judge you understand wherever to spell and your security sum arsenic well, arsenic we navigate this changing landscape.

HUANG: Later this month, authorities wellness officials will beryllium watching intimately erstwhile nan CDC's revamped vaccine advisory committee meets to ballot connected recommendations for COVID, hepatitis B and immoderate different vaccines.

Pien Huang, NPR News.

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