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Spent the morning talking to doctors who are working on vaccine trials / research / efficacy.
There is a lot of good news. But there are some big, big questions.
Thread.
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There is a lot of good news. But there are some big, big questions.
Thread.
1)
Will there be adverse effects? Based on the trials, there will be some headaches, sore arms, nausea. In rare cases, "It could be a rough two days, which is still a fair tradeoff for a life-saving vaccine," says one doctor.
But: anti-vaccine propaganda mongers are ready.
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But: anti-vaccine propaganda mongers are ready.
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Every bout of nausea could be hyperbolized. Every headache could be described as the "worst day of my life."
Just know that adverse effects are somewhat common, typically mild, occasionally worse, and part of the deal. With all vaccines.
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Just know that adverse effects are somewhat common, typically mild, occasionally worse, and part of the deal. With all vaccines.
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So who gets the vaccine first? Health care workers, almost certainly. Then? Likely nursing home residents.
And then?
This is where it could get very messy without leadership and a plan. Consider that as many as six vaccines could roll out over the next year. In waves.
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And then?
This is where it could get very messy without leadership and a plan. Consider that as many as six vaccines could roll out over the next year. In waves.
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Is a healthy 86-year old higher risk than a 58-year old cancer survivor?
Is someone who lives in the hardest-hit zip code more at risk than someone with two co-morbidities from a lightly hit zip code?
How do you factor in race, ethnicity?
There could be fights over risk.
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Is someone who lives in the hardest-hit zip code more at risk than someone with two co-morbidities from a lightly hit zip code?
How do you factor in race, ethnicity?
There could be fights over risk.
5)
Someone, somewhere, will have to create the hierarchy of high risk, and the order in which vaccines will be distributed.
So who makes that call?
This is another possible problem.
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So who makes that call?
This is another possible problem.
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One doc told me, "There is no national leadership on this at all. Nothing. It will almost certainly have to be decided by the states. But who actually makes those calls in the moment, I have no idea. Not yet."
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The total absence of federal leadership has come up, again and again, in conversations with doctors and health care workers.
I'll follow up with @RichAzzopardi to see what the state plan is for creating a vaccine distribution plan is. I assume wheels are in motion.
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I'll follow up with @RichAzzopardi to see what the state plan is for creating a vaccine distribution plan is. I assume wheels are in motion.
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We at @WXXINews will host a live televised forum with medical experts on Thursday, December 17th. We're going to answer every question we can. That forum will be pivotal in getting information out calmly and accurately.
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Bottom line: vaccines are coming. There is much to appreciate. We've seen massive breakthroughs.
The failure of federal planning and leadership will make for uneven and, likely, sometimes unequal distribution. States have a lot of work to do. We'll be following it.
10/10)
The failure of federal planning and leadership will make for uneven and, likely, sometimes unequal distribution. States have a lot of work to do. We'll be following it.
10/10)
