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THE BUZZ: Gov.
Gavin Newsom and fellow advocates of the California dream have plenty to compare it to these days from blue bastions to red rivals.
In New York, besieged Gov. Andrew Cuomo is indirectly aiding Newsom by depriving him of the title of most endangered blue state governor in America
Print
Millions of Californians with disabilities and underlying health conditions will become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, but continuing shortages of doses as well as ongoing uncertainties about verification and qualification still pose potential barriers to access.
The expansion marks an important step for the state’s emergence from the pandemic, and new guidance released Thursday by health officials allows high-risk people to self-attest to their eligibility a key win for advocates who worried that people would not be able to gather documentation to verify their disability or underlying condition.
But the addition of an estimated 4.4 million Californians to the eligibility list will place additional burdens on a vaccine supply that has grown steadily but not significantly. California is reserving 40% of its supply for people in underserved communities and 10% for teachers. And there are still many people 65 and older who are waiting for their vaccinations
About 4.4 million Californians with disabilities and underlying health conditions will become eligible Monday, but supply shortages and uncertainties about verification pose potential barriers.
Vaccine Advocacy
On today’s show, we look at the movement here in California to grant people with significant disabilities priority access to the Covid-19 vaccine. Studies show that people with certain physical or developmental disabilities are up to three times more likely to die from Covid-19 as compared to the general population. And yet, it wasn’t until February 12 that Governor Newsom announced that people with significant disabilities and people who have underlying health conditions will be eligible to receive the vaccine in California. And this eligibility isn’t even effective until March 15. The announcement was made only after massive outcry and a massive mobilization campaign by people with disabilities in the state.
Lunar New Year, ‘breakthrough cases,’ prisoner lawsuits: News from around our 50 states From USA TODAY Network and wire reports, USA TODAY
Alabama
Montgomery: New statistics indicate a disproportionately small number of Black people are getting vaccinations against the coronavirus, a trend the state’s top health official said Friday shows the need to increase immunization efforts in the minority community. While demographic data compiled by the state has big gaps, with the race of tens of thousands of vaccine recipients not reported, Dr. Scott Harris said the numbers that are available show about 55% of vaccines have gone to white people so far compared to about 11% for Blacks. By comparison, Alabama’s population is about 27% Black, census figures show. Factors including hesitancy to accept the vaccine and the demographic makeup of groups that were allowed to receive vaccines during the earliest rounds could help account for the difference, Harris said.