Who Gets The Coronavirus Vaccine Next, And Will It Be Enough?
CONNECTICUT — Barely a week into 2021 and many in Connecticut are already looking back at 2020 with a misty-eyed fondness. That's a state of affairs which was nearly impossible to imagine a month ago — but nothing is hard to believe anymore.
We'll go out on a limb and predict that the nation's attention will soon become fixed on the new strain of the coronavirus. The variant emerged first in the United Kingdom, with many mutations that appear to allow it to spread more easily than other variants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Shortly after the state passed 6,000 deaths from the original coronavirus, two cases of the rogue strain reared their protruding spikes here. The infected are two people between 15 and 25 who live in New Haven County, Gov. Ned Lamont said Thursday. Connecticut is now one of six states that have identified cases of the virus variant. CDC officials told the Washington Post they suspect the mutant variant is already present in most states, and will become more common in the coming weeks.
The new villainous strain is taking the stage in a just-written new act before we've even gotten to know our young hero, the coronavirus vaccine. Researchers continue to study whether the newly minted cure will be as effective against the new actor. So far there is no evidence that the vaccine won't be effective and scientists believe more study will confirm that, according to the CDC.
Effective or not, are you anywhere near getting it? There's no question that health officials in Hartford have been extraordinarily effective at getting the vaccine out the door and into arms, but chances are none of those arms were yours.
Nearly 55,000 vaccine doses have been administered in Connecticut as of Wednesday to people in phase 1a of the rollout, which includes front-line healthcare workers and nursing home residents and staff. All nursing home vaccine clinics are expected to be completed by the end of this week and the state remains on track to complete all phase 1a vaccinations by the end of January, Lamont said.
Who Gets The Vaccine Next?
The CDC suggests that states prioritize people over the age of 75, frontline essential workers, and people in congregate settings (for example, penitentiaries), and Connecticut seems to be running with that suggestion. Exactly how broadly Connecticut will define "essential worker," and exactly when this month the first phase 1b vaccinations will begin, is still to be determined. The state's COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group will next meet on Jan. 14.
Around 275,000 people in Connecticut are over the age of 75 and another 530,000 people meet the CDC's definition of frontline essential workers, which includes first responders, education, food and agriculture, manufacturing, corrections workers, U.S. Postal service workers, public transit and grocery store workers. It would take around nine to 10 weeks to vaccinate the group if 60 percent opted to get vaccinated and vaccine supplies remained stable, experts said. As demand for the coronavirus vaccine will likely outpace supply for some time to come in Connecticut, the state may be taking a hard look at what "essential" means.
Naturally, in vaccine prioritization as most anything else, it helps to have a powerful politician or two on your side. This week state House Republican Leader-elect Vincent Candelora asked the state's vaccine advisory group to consider including teachers and school employees over 55 in the next vaccination phase.
Another potent Connecticut lawmaker, U.S. Rep. Rose DeLauro, promised to quickly work with President-elect Joe Biden on more coronavirus aid after he is sworn in Jan. 20. DeLauro was named as chairwoman of the House Committee on Appropriations, which is responsible for funding the federal government. States around the country will get coronavirus-related aid through the recently-passed congressional relief bill. Connecticut is on track to score $36 million for vaccine distribution costs and $205 million for coronavirus testing and contact tracing.
For just about every town in the Connecticut, that relief can't come fast enough. More towns were added to Connecticut's red zone map Thursday with just Canaan, Colebrook, Kent, Union and Warren out of 169 not in the state's worst zone for coronavirus infections. Towns are listed in the red zone when they exceed 15 daily cases per 100,000 population over a two-week average.
But if you think that after a couple of jabs of the vaccine you can throw away your mask collection, think again. No one yet knows whether the vaccine will prevent or reduce transmission of the virus or if it will only protect those who are vaccinated. Several research studies are being conducted to determine the answer.
So, welcome to the new coronavirus year, same as the old coronavirus year. There's still plenty of unanswered questions, plenty to debate, and plenty to worry about. Maybe that's why Lamont announced last week he is looking to legalize recreational marijuana...
See also: CT Coronavirus Vaccine: 5 New Things To Know
This article originally appeared on the Across Connecticut Patch
