California man over the age of 65 was DENIED the COVID vaccine at drive-thru site even though he was eligible because staff were confused the new guidelines Gov. Newsom introduced last week
A man over the age of 65 in California who was technically eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine was denied the shot despite making an appointment and waiting in a long line due to confusing vaccine guidelines.
On Monday, University of Chicago Booth Business School professor Brad Shapiro shared a Twitter thread highlighting how disorganized nation's vaccine rollout is.
He shared the story of his friend Todd who is over 65 and lives in Caliafornia who saw Gov. Gavin Newsom announce on TV that above that age are now eligible for the vaccine.
The state opened up the vaccine to people aged 65 and over on January 13, at a time when vaccines were already limited.
On Monday a University of Chicago Booth Business School professor named Brad Shapiro posted a harrowing Twitter thread sharing the story of how his friend Todd, who is over the age of 65, couldn't get vaccinated despite being eligibile in California due to confusing guidelines
Excited, Todd made an appointment at a mass vaccination site, but when he arrived he was shunted back and forth between different workers confused over whether he was eligible or not.
The Twitter thread was shared by Brad Shapiro, a Professor at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
'Upon arrival, Todd checks in and is asked for his health care worker ID. He's not a health care worker. He says "The Governor got on TV and said >65 was eligible. And the website allowed me to make an appointment" Check-in worker says "NO" and puts a large X on his windshield,' Shapiro wrote.
However, there was no way to drive out of the line so Todd had to continue on.
'As he goes through the line, he keeps arguing. Shows the article on his phone. Re-iterates that he was allowed to make an appointment,' Shapiro said.
Eventually the director of the vaccination site agrees with him and they prepare a dose and they gave Todd an appointment.
The decision to vaccinate Todd outraged a worker who 'says if he gets a vaccine, she’s calling the police. She won’t be silent while someone tries to "jump the line."'
'Knowing if the police come, vaccines will be disrupted for the rest of the day, the director relents. Todd leaves unvaccinated,' Shapiro wrote.
'Unclear if that dose was administered at all or trashed. Moral of the story: SIGH. We are self owning in so many ways,' he added.
Part of the blame can be cast on confusing guidelines handed down across the state.
While Newsom said anyone 65 and up is eligible for the vaccine, not all counties have opened up vaccinations to that age group.
Orange County was one of the first to do so, but overwhelmed LA County said last week they could not because they were still scrambling to inoculate health care workers and in longterm care facilities.
A view of California's vaccination tiers above. Some counties have already started to vaccinate those 65 and up but others say they can't start to until they vaccinate everyone in tier 1A
A COVID-19 vaccine is administered at a site for health care workers at Ritchie Valens Recreation Center in Pacoima, California on Wednesday
People cheer after getting a vaccine at the Disneyland Resort serving as a Super POD (Point Of Dispensing) COVID-19 mass vaccination site Wednesday in Anaheim, California
Governor Gavin Newsom addresses a news conference held at the launch of mass COVID-19 vaccination site at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday
LA county is so desperate for help on Saturday the county Department of Public Health issued a call for licensed healthcare workers to volunteer to vaccinate other healthcare workers during na unpaid 10-hour shift at five mass distribution sites.
The County says that once all healthcare workers receive the first dose of the vaccine in the next two weeks, then they can move onto the next phase and include those 65 and up.
San Diego County also struggled with confusion due to the changed eligibility criteria.
In that county, vaccinations for those 65 and up started on Wednesday but were quickly halted because facilities didn’t have enough vaccines to give out.
'There’s a ton of confusion. Patients don’t know what they should be doing,' Dr. Linh Lee, the director of pharmacy, health and wellness at Ralphs in San Diego, said to the Los Angeles Times.