The coronavirus vaccine goes to people who are NOT currently on the priority list, but several health experts say … it’s actually a very good thing.
The best way to explain it is by example. The Men’s Health Clinic in Inglewood, California, is inoculating people who are at the top of LA County’s priority list – health workers. The clinic has made appointments, but there was a problem. A large number of people by appointment ended up not showing up. The clinic had vaccines for those people who were on time to deteriorate. So, their solution … a waiting list for people who may not be health professionals, but are eager to be vaccinated.
A clinic employee told TMZ that, last Tuesday, for example, they ended the day with 150 unused bottles that were about to spoil. Instead of throwing them in the trash, the team stayed until 11 pm … vaccinating people on the list and some who just showed up.
One of the people in line … reality star Lisa Vanderpump and your husband, Ken Todd. Ken was vaccinated – Lisa was not – because her doctor told her to go to the clinic, as he is 75 years old and has 2 underlying health problems. He waited and was vaccinated.
Now here’s the problem … the CDC, which should provide guidance to counties, has done a bad job, so each county is left to its own devices. We contacted two dozen locations where the vaccine is being administered and policies are everywhere. LA County has guidelines, as does the state of California, and they are confusing.
We heard that there was a meeting on Friday at which LA County Health officials talked about this problem and agreed that it is better to put the vaccine in people’s arms instead of in the trash. They said that they are working on developing a clear vaccine distribution protocol, STAT.
They would take non-punitive measures against any clinic that preferred vaccination to garbage.
As for how to apply, there is no clear policy. The Men’s Health Clinic official in Inglewood told us that there is a waiting list that, as of Tuesday, was 730 people. We couldn’t find that list.
By the way … the clinic employee said that anyone who received the first vaccination at the clinic could also receive the second.
Tale – better to vaccinate than to waste.