The slow speed of the coronavirus vaccine rollout could be accelerated by broadening eligibility, a balancing act that would need to come with doses that can meet demand, according to a Johns Hopkins expert.
“I think the strategy of being more flexible in the eligibility or allocation process is important,” said Dr. William Moss, executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins University.
So far there have been more than 30 million vaccine doses distributed in the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control, yet just over 11 million first doses have actually been administered.
“We need to broaden eligibility but make sure we have the dosing to match that,” said Moss, taking a question from the Herald during a Friday virtual briefing.
He said one way of expanding eligibility is by using age categories and working down to younger and younger groups.
“It does get more complex if we’re requiring certain underlying medical conditions and how we identify and document those people,” said Moss.
Another way to speed up the process is to release the existing supply of vaccine instead of holding some back for second doses, a plan both Trump and Biden have said should be executed.
Moss said to do that, there needs to be assurance from the vaccine manufacturing pipeline that there will be more supply in time for a second dose, “It’s a tricky balance.”
Moss noted recent vaccine campaign changes from the Trump administration that include incentives for states that vaccinate quickly and a focus on setting up mass vaccination sites with the help of community partners.
“All this really begs the question as to why this type of preparedness, which is really needed for a successful mass vaccination campaign, was not done earlier,” said Moss.
The country should aim to vaccinate about two million people a day said Moss, and many public health workers should be trained to give the shots for an all hands on deck approach.
The main metrics to keep track of to see if vaccination is successful are hospitalizations and deaths, which are at peak levels across the country as the United States faces some of its deadliest days on record.
Dr. Brian Garibaldi, associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins, said patient volume has continued to increase.
“It’s really been heart-wrenching to see the patients that are coming into the hospital who we’re trying to be careful and tried to spend time with family over the holidays and unfortunately have gotten sick,” said Garibaldi.
He said that vaccines provide a “beacon of hope” but also a reminder that the pandemic isn’t over yet.
