Associated Press
FILE - In this Jan. 21, 2021, file photo, Edna Becker receives the Moderna coronavirus vaccine from nurse Patricia Torres at the mass vaccination clinic at the New Braunfels Civic/Convention Center in New Braunfels, Texas. As the nation s COVID-19 vaccination campaign accelerates, governors, public health directors and committees advising them are holding key discussions behind closed doors, including debates about who should be eligible for the shots and how to best distribute them. (Mikala Compton/Herald-Zeitung via AP, File)
IOWA CITY, Iowa As the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign accelerates, governors, public health directors and committees advising them are holding key discussions behind closed doors, including debates about who should be eligible for the shots and how best to distribute them.
States holding key vaccine discussions in closed meetings
By RYAN J. FOLEYFebruary 3, 2021 GMT
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) As the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign accelerates, governors, public health directors and committees advising them are holding key discussions behind closed doors, including debates about who should be eligible for the shots and how best to distribute them.
A review by The Associated Press finds that advisory committees created to help determine how to prioritize limited doses have held closed meetings in at least 13 states that are home to more than 70 million people.
In at least 15 other states, the meetings have been open to the public, the AP found. But even in those states, governors and health departments can modify or override committee recommendations with little or no public explanation. In several others, governors and their staffs make decisions without formal advisory bodies to guide them.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) As the nation s COVID-19 vaccination campaign accelerates, governors, public health directors and committees advising them are holding key discussions behind closed doors, including debates about who should be eligible for the shots and how best to distribute them.
A review by The Associated Press finds that advisory committees created to help determine how to prioritize limited doses have held closed meetings in at least 13 states that are home to more than 70 million people.
In at least 15 other states, the meetings have been open to the public, the AP found. But even in those states, governors and health departments can modify or override committee recommendations with little or no public explanation. In several others, governors and their staffs make decisions without formal advisory bodies to guide them.
“It makes you wonder, why was the panel assembled?” she said.
She said the decision to expand eligibility to all Iowa seniors puts local public health officials in a bind, because they’re the ones who have to tell residents there isn’t enough vaccine for everyone the governor deemed eligible.
“They’re going to take the heat. It’s going to be chaos,” Tucker Reinders said.
At a news conference Wednesday, Reynolds said that she appreciated the council s service and expertise. But she noted federal officials recently changed their recommendations, urging states to open vaccinations to everyone 65 or older.
Dear Iowa State Senators and Representatives,
As you return to your work at the Iowa State Capitol and debate the issues most critical to the health, security and economic sustainability of Iowans, the Iowa Public Health Association welcomes you back and asks that you accept your position of critical role models to the people of Iowa.
As you know, we are still in the midst of a pandemic that has, at the time of writing, cost 4,251 Iowan lives. By the time you read this, that number will have grown, and more families will be mourning the loss of cherished loved ones. We applaud your decision to protect Capitol visitors by opening your proceedings to the public via livestream platforms. Accessibility to you and transparency in decision making is a hallmark of our democracy.