With the Covid-19 vaccine waiting lists in the millions, some skip the queue

Each state – and even some local jurisdictions – has established different rules for who gets vaccinated first and where they are distributed. In addition to the shortage of vaccine supplies, the lack of a centralized registration system in many areas has sparked a dose race.

As of Thursday, about 35.2 million doses have been administered in the United States, of about 57.5 million doses delivered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Distribution blocks caused a slower than expected rate of vaccination.

In Rhode Island, Attorney General Peter Neronha is investigating whether two healthcare networks vaccinated employees and others according to the state’s eligibility rules. “There has been a particular concern about vaccinating board members, curators and administrative staff who work primarily in telecommuting,” he wrote to executives at Lifespan and Care New England in a letter displayed by The Wall Street Journal.

“A small amount of bad optics can undermine confidence in the system,” said Neronha, a Democrat, in an interview. “In Rhode Island, which has a reputation for being the ultimate ‘meeting a guy’ state, because it’s so small and nobody ever leaves, this lack of confidence is really exacerbated.”

Lifespan said board members received offers of vaccination on the second weekend of January, when the health care system opened up eligibility for employees who did not interact with patients and volunteers. “We have been working closely with [the state Department of Health] and carefully followed his guidance from the beginning, ”said a spokeswoman. Care New England did not comment.

A spokesman for the state health department said the hospitals were allowed to vaccinate the entire organization, including radiology staff, outside staff and volunteers, noting that they are “active in operating a hospital”.

Jay Egge, an 84-year-old retiree from Barrington, RI, said it irritated him to learn that hospital administrators and board members received vaccines. He said he was not lucky to be vaccinated, despite a number of illnesses that make him highly vulnerable to Covid-19.

“If I’m in line trying to get my fried seafood sandwich and some idiot jumps in front of me, I don’t like it. It’s the same, ”he said. But when it comes to Covid-19, “I’m afraid to survive”.

Some officials said that because the launch involved so many jurisdictions with different rules, deadlines and supplies, it was impossible for states or the federal government to ensure that everyone is following the rules.

“We are not the vaccine police,” said Max Reiss, a spokesman for Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, a Democrat. “We are placing a lot of trust in local suppliers to ensure that they are vaccinating those most at risk in their communities.”

Stacey Griffith, a SoulCycle instructor, was criticized on social media after identifying herself as an educator so she could be vaccinated at a clinic in Staten Island, NY, and then publicizing her move on Instagram.

“I made a terrible error of judgment and that’s why I’m really sorry,” she posted on February 1. She did not respond to requests for comment. A spokeswoman for SoulCycle said the company does not encourage its employees to seek vaccines as educators.

“It doesn’t sound like someone who should have been vaccinated against me,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said when asked about Griffith at a news conference.

After judges and officials at the municipal court in Reno, Nevada, received vaccines at a medical clinic, city manager Douglas Thornley said court officials used personal relationships to circumvent Nevada guidelines.

“It is unscrupulous to me that someone puts their interests before those who need the vaccine first: among them our health professionals, rescuers and the elderly aged 70 and over,” he said in a statement. “For groups at risk, the vaccine can mean life or death.”

The judge involved in protecting the shots did not respond to requests for comment.

In DeKalb County, Georgia, which includes part of Atlanta and part of its suburbs, healthcare professionals found that some people who received QR codes that allowed them to sign up for a vaccine appointment, then shared them with friends, said S. Elizabeth Ford, the county’s county health director.

“They boast about it on social media,” she said in an interview. “I was shocked.”

Hundreds of people went to county vaccination centers with copies of QR codes, claiming to be properly registered, said Ford. County officials crossed codes with actual records and retained people’s photos without approval.

In addition to issues of legality and justice, cutting the line erodes public confidence in this historic vaccine launch, said Ruth Faden, a biomedical ethics expert at Johns Hopkins University.

“Part of the reason why people shouldn’t use their social advantage and power is precisely because it weakens the whole system,” she said. “Why should I follow the rules if rich people, connected people, powerful people are breaking the rules?”

—Katie Honan contributed to this article.

Write to Scott Calvert at [email protected] and Cameron McWhirter at [email protected]