Public health officials have had to make difficult decisions as they prioritize who should get vaccinated for the coronavirus first. They are in uncharted territory, and we should cut them some slack as they proceed.
But I wish they’d revisit their policy to include smokers — at least healthy smokers, if there is such a thing — near the top of the list.
When Pennsylvania announced its updated vaccination plan Tuesday, officials made anyone ages 16-to-64 eligible if they have “high-risk conditions.”
And they consider smoking to be a high-risk condition.
A condition of what? Poor judgment, to put it politely? So people who have opted to smoke despite knowing that it was unhealthy now are getting a break? Give me a break.
But smoking made Pennsylvania’s list, along with cancer, kidney disease, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Down syndrome, obesity, pregnancy, sickle cell disease and Type 2 diabetes. Those with weakened immune systems such as from an organ transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV or use of immune-weakening medicines also are considered high-risk.
New Jersey also moved smokers up the vaccination ladder last week when it updated its plan.
Both states said they were following the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which lists smoking as one of the underlying medical conditions that put people at an increased risk of severe illness if they get the coronavirus.
In New Jersey, smokers are the largest group of those with high-risk conditions, Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said.
“Smoking puts you at significant risk for an adverse result from COVID-19, and there are 2 million smokers in New Jersey that fit into this category,” she said at a news conference.
Between 17% and 19% of Pennsylvania adults smoke, according to various studies, or between 1.6 million and 1.8 million people.
Pennsylvania health officials told me last week that the state’s vaccination plan didn’t give smokers preference, but they said that could change as the CDC’s guidance on the topic was evolving. The change occurred Tuesday.
According to the World Health Organization, smokers are more susceptible to fall seriously ill from COVID-19 because smoking reduces lung capacity, making it harder for the body to fight off respiratory diseases. And COVID attacks the lungs.
So I recognize that public health policymakers are following the science when they move smokers up on the list of those eligible to be vaccinated. Their goal is to protect those at most risk as soon as possible.
If someone has smoked their lungs out to the point where they already have been diagnosed with cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease or another ailment that makes them more susceptible to the virus, it’s easier to accept that.
But it just doesn’t feel right that those who are puffing away with no health repercussions yet should be rewarded.
The new vaccination plan
Pennsylvania’s updated plan is a significant change from the previous version.
In addition to making those ages 16 to 64 with high-risk conditions immediately eligible, it also makes anyone age 65 and older eligible.
They join health care workers and residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities who already were in the first phase. There now are a total of 3.5 million people in that group.
Making older people eligible in the first phase of the state’s four-phase plan makes sense. Most of the people who have died and most of those who have been hospitalized are 65 or older.
But, unfortunately, just because they are higher on the list isn’t a guarantee that they will be getting their shots anytime soon. Supplies of the vaccine remain limited.
Replace Levine quickly
The enormous responsibility to finish the vaccination program will fall on someone new, with the departure of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine for a position in President Joe Biden’s administration.
Seating a new secretary usually wouldn’t be a big deal or garner much attention, with everything else going on in state government and politics. But amid the COVID-19 crisis, don’t expect things to be so quiet.
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf expects to make an announcement this week about replacing Levine. His nominee must be confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate.
Republican senators have been critical of how Wolf’s administration has handled the pandemic, and have demanded a greater say in the state’s response. They now have a big opportunity to be heard.
Levine rankled some of them with her role in the pandemic restrictions, including the initial shutdown last spring and the phased reopening. Some believed the restrictions were too harsh and the reopening was too slow, and that current limitations aren’t necessary.
During a confirmation hearing, expect Wolf’s nominee to face questions about how he or she would have handled the pandemic, and what he or she may have done differently. And don’t be surprised if there is a tight vote.
I just hope Republican senators don’t let politics interfere with good government.
By all means, ask your questions and put the nominee on the spot. He or she should be able answer tough questions, and be tough enough to handle the grilling.
But if the candidate has the necessary pedigree in the health field, then recognize that he or she is qualified and confirm them so they can get to work immediately.
Morning Call columnist Paul Muschick can be reached at 484-280-2909 or paul.muschick@mcall.com
