I’m not sure what you are disagreeing with. There are not enough vaccines available to vaccinate all 65+ and at-risk conditions, not even close.
I absolutely support sites giving vaccines to any adult, regardless of age/risk, who is around should there be extra doses that will spoil.
maybe we are closer than I suspected…I do not think there are enough vaccines to give to the 75+ and the at risk, but for some reason it is taking a very long time to administer. I just want to see them speed up the process and am assuming the bottleneck is at the recipient end (i.e., not identifying enough of them), if instead it is because we do not have enough nurses, parking lots or whatever, it just needs to be id’d asap and fixed.
It just seems like vaccine schedules will be a mystery for a while. Until there are more vaccines available and until there are more sites giving vaccines, it’s impossible to know when each new group will be invited. Two doctor friends of mine told me this week that they feel very good about February - that Walgreens should be able to get vaccines to a growing number of people and even more vaccine sites will be up and running in a month from now. Did we really think that these first vaccines were going to be put into people’s arms in some highly organized way? I never had that expectation. I mean it stinks that most states are struggling with this but they’ve had little to no support and it’s a huge undertaking. It’s only mid-Jan. I think we need to be a little more realistic and patient. Students will get vaccines at some point. but it’s not going to change spring semester at all.
Seems like colleges should vaccinate faculty before they vaccinate the students, but I’m not hearing that’s happening. Did hear that K12 teachers are moving up the priority list soon though. After healthcare providers and elderly. Makes sense.
I know there is a shortage here in NJ, there is talk of folks not being able to get the second dose.
CU Boulder expects to be a vaccine distribution site for students, faculty, and staff. Details that were shared:
Boulder County Public Health and the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment have asked CU Boulder to partner on vaccine distribution to faculty, staff and students. The campus anticipates serving as a site where faculty, staff and students can choose to get the vaccine. Vaccine timing and availability through CU Boulder will follow state guidelines and depend heavily upon national and state vaccine supply. We know this is of major interest to our community and will communicate more information as soon as we have it. Please be aware that vaccines for most students, faculty and staff will not be available at the beginning of the spring semester or when in-person courses begin. We cannot distribute any vaccine outside of the state guidelines.
Thanks
There is no way healthy college students will get vaccinated in February by Amherst College. MA just completed first round dosing for assisted living and first responders this past week. Next will be elders and those with one or more co morbidity in February. MA State Dept of Public Health vaccine roll out by the Governor has been heavily criticized for being slower than neighboring states, but he said it depends on supply and the Feds only give a few days notice. Healthy college students are not until the final phase. They cannot distribute them outside state guidelines.
Instructors in any classroom do the largest share of the talking (which produces more potentially-virus-laden droplets than quietly breathing), so it makes sense to vaccinate the instructors first (yes, assuming that the vaccine reduces asymptomatic transmission, which is unproven but considered fairly likely). Plus, there are fewer instructors than students.
Also, lower grade level teachers should be prioritized within classroom instructors if there is any prioritization, since the lower grade levels adapt to distance learning the worst, and students under 16 years old do not have available vaccines yet.
I am not optimistic about colleges getting vaccines for their campus communities soon. In NY and NJ people are having their vaccine appts cancelled because supply is gone. I would be happy to be wrong. If state-run mass vaccination centers and hospitals don’t have enough vaccine, colleges are not going to get it any time soon for distribution.
That is very interesting. The CDC info on their website indicates NY and NJ should have plenty of doses available. I wonder if they are holding back for the second dose or locked up for nursing homes? Not a lot of great info out there…
The cancellations are coming out this weekend. The governors are blaming the federal government for not delivering the expected doses.
My husband is category 1B in New Jersey and technically should be able to schedule an appt. We are signed up on the state registry. There is a list of places in the county that offer appointments, but they are overwhelmed and are not taking new appointments. Just because you are eligible to receive a vaccine doesn’t mean you can get one.
Ugh just received another robocall from our county executive reminding us to sign up to get vaccinated. Two months ago when testing sites were overwhelmed and turning people away I received so many calls reminding us to get tested.
Yes, the same here. I couldn’t get tested when they were yammering at us to get tested. Now I can’t get vaccinated despite all the exhortations. I know it’s not the topic of this thread but it’s immensely frustrating.
In PA, I know quite a few people who have gotten vaccines out of order because they’re vaccinating those who sign up in the priority groups and then using the unclaimed doses with those who sign up.
Sounds like who ever is in charge of the vaccine schedule in your state forgot to reserve the necessary second doses.
Couldn’t agree more. My 82-year-old parents here in MA are in group 2A because they live on their own. Up until last week, they were in group 2B. My mom has diabetes and high blood pressure, but still in 2A with K-12 and preschool teachers. Yet if you live in a group home in MA, regardless of your age, you are eligible for the vaccine now. Baker moved seniors up from 2B to 2A only after receiving heavy criticism. They don’t anticipate getting to phase 2 until mid- to late February.
On the other hand, D20’s professors at Hamilton can get vaccinated now due to NY’s phasing. President Wippman just announced that 60% of classes this spring will be in person, but they are hoping there will be more as professors get the vaccine (if they can find it). State phasing is all over the place.
Should a lot of this discussion be in Covid as n your state topic?
Wondering how many schools have a plan yet for graduation. Except for GW have any other schools already cancel in person?
UChicago hold alumnae weekend around the same time as commencement and they just announced a virtual event this year. So my guess is that commencement will be virtual as well. But no news yet.
Purdue is holding commencement in the football stadium this spring. Sounds like ticket numbers will be greatly limited to allow for social distancing.
Bowdoin is planning in person graduation in May and has planned in person graduation for the class of 2020 for a weekend in August.