GoLocal Daily RI Vaccination Update: MA Announces 65+ a Priority for Vaccine, No Word in RI

GoLocal Daily RI Vaccination Update: MA Announces 65+ a Priority for Vaccine, No Word in RI

Tuesday’s GoLocal vaccination update provides the most up-to-date information and data on the Rhode Island vaccination program as well as emerging national and global developments.

 

1. While RI Officials Delay, MA Officials Announce Phase 2 Vaccinations

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Starting February 1, Massachusetts officials will begin vaccinating a range of new groups including those who are 75+ and later those who are 65+.

Federal officials have urged that 65+ be a top priority for vaccinations.

MA Phase 2 Priorities are as follows:

- Individuals with 2+ comorbidities (high risk for COVID-19 complications), individuals age 75+, and residents and staff of public and private low income and affordable senior housing

Other workers, including:

Early education, K-12, transit, grocery, utility, food and agriculture, restaurant and cafe workers;
Employees across the food, beverages, agriculture, consumer goods, retail, and foodservice sectors;
Meatpackers;
Sanitation, public works and public health workers;
Vaccine development workers;
Food pantry workers and volunteers;
Transit/transportation: Uber/Lyft/ride share services/pharmacy delivery drivers, workers in the passenger ground transportation industry (e.g. paratransit for people with Disabilities, food delivery, non-urgent medical transport), Massport workers other than police;
Convenience store workers (under grocery workers);
Water and wastewater utility staff
Court system workers (judges, prosecutors, defense attorney, clerks), other than court officers who are listed under first responders
Medical supply chain workers
Funeral directors and funeral workers
Shipping port and terminal workers

- Adults 65+
- Individuals with one co-morbid condition

 

2. RI Officials Refuse to Prioritize 65+

Despite 1,815 of RI’s coronavirus deaths being those 60-years of age or older, RI has not prioritized older Rhode Islanders. 

115 Rhode Islanders who have died were under the age of 60.

Not all of RI's 2,005 deaths have been coded for age.

 

3. Israel Has Already Done 65+, They Have Now Moved Down to 40+

"All Israelis aged 40 and up can now get a coronavirus vaccine, the Health Ministry announced Tuesday, with the rapid inoculation campaign gaining more steam in the hopes of overcoming record-high infections," reports the Times of Israel.

 

4. RIDOH Continues to Refuse to Provide Information

The RI Department of Health continues to refuse to provide data as to how many Rhode Islanders need to be vaccinated. 

 

5. RI Has Utilized 44% of Vaccine

According to the CDC and updated on Friday, RI has now:

Received 108,427 doses — an increase of 24,302 over Thursday

Administered 47,548 doses (less than 3,000 administered in past 24-hours)

Of the vaccine doses received, RI has utilized 44% —a drop from 53%*

*NO CHANGE IN NUMBERS SINCE SATURDAY

 

6. World Health Organization Says Vaccination Programs Are a "Catastrophic Moral Failure"

The BBC is reporting that the WHO is blasting the distribution of the coronavirus vaccines. 

The world faces a "catastrophic moral failure" because of unequal Covid vaccine policies, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was not fair for younger, healthy people in richer nations to get injections before vulnerable people in poorer states.

He said over 39 million vaccine doses had been given in 49 richer states - but one poor nation had only 25 doses.

Meanwhile, both the WHO and China were criticised for their Covid response.

An independent panel commissioned by the WHO said the UN public health body should have declared an international emergency earlier, and also rapped China for not taking public health measures sooner.