Biden admin remakes vaccine strategy after mass vaccination sites fizzle

[brooklynite]

Source: Politico

The Biden administration is rethinking a costly system of government-run mass vaccination sites after data revealed the program is lagging well behind a much cheaper federal effort to distribute doses via retail pharmacies.

The government has shipped millions of doses to the 21 mass vaccination hubs, or “pilot” community centers, in states such as California, Florida, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts and Texas. The hubs are part of a $4 billion federal system that funds more than 1,000 smaller vaccination locations across the country and provides other vaccination support — such as supplies — to states across the country. The Federal Emergency Management Agency did not respond to repeated questions about how much the pilot sites cost.

Despite the money the federal government has spent on the mass-vaccination pilot sites, they are administering just a fraction of the shots given across the country each day. Federal data show the retail pharmacy program — which has signed up 21 chains and 17,000 stores — can reach far more Americans in a shorter time, according to four senior officials with direct knowledge of the matter. The bottom line, those sources said, is that more Americans seem to be willing to walk to their local pharmacist to get the vaccine than to travel to a federal vaccination site for the shot.

That represents a shift in strategy for the Biden administration, which touted the hubs as a powerful tool to rapidly accelerate the nation’s vaccine rollout and a symbol of the president’s push to give the federal government a larger role in the pandemic response. But FEMA data obtained by POLITICO make clear that the pharmacy sites are far outpacing the stadiums, arenas and convention centers enlisted as mass vaccination sites.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/29/covid-vaccine-sites-478233

[FBaggins]

1. That part always struck me as implausible, but worth a shot

(pun intended).

I remember the President talking about mobilizing vaccinators to "put needles in arms" and thought that it would be at best inefficient.

But it certainly wouldn't decrease the number of shots available. Why not give it a try?

[smb]

8. They Did Give It A Try

Apparently they found that it was less effective than other options, so it makes sense to put the resources into the other options and get more shots delivered.

[kwijybo]

38. It was the logical thing to do, but

Makes me cry, seeing the government act in a reasonable, rational way after 4 years of insanity.

[alittlelark]

2. I was at a mass vaccine site yesterday.

Set up in a public park in my small town of Jemez Springs. It was very busy and well organized. Our village has 400 residents, and it looked like most got vaccinated.

I cannot imagine a better way to do it, especially in non-urban areas.

[ZonkerHarris]

31. plus sometimes when the boat is sinking you need to run the pumps AND bail by hand. Multiple

actions to a solution is usually the best tactic.
We are always looking for one magic bullet to solve things.
It's like the vaccines.
We have several.
Having multiples helps solve the problem over just having one.

[stopdiggin]

36. yep. seems sort of a no brainer

nothing wrong (and actually good medical strategy) to have multiple approaches. who said it had to be either/or?

(also want to point out that I'm a little skeptical of Politico -- and their proven ability to 'spin' virtually any news story .... )

[Phoenix61]

3. This is what happens when leaders science.

Collect and analyze data then adjust the plan accordingly. Adulting 101.

[LastDemocratInSC]

5. It's the FDR approach.

FDR was asked "what if one or more of your programs don't work as well as you think they should?" His response was "then we will try something else."

[smb]

10. It Beats The Sponge Blob Golf Pants Approach...

...of yelling that the the plan is working and that reports to the contrary are "fake news".

[CaptainTruth]

18. Sponge Blob Golf Pants!

[SammyWinstonJack]

23. HAHAHA! Sponge Blob Golf Pants

[Kali]

24. BWAHAHAHA!!!

Sponge Blob Golf Pants

[Chakaconcarne]

4. Nice to see the quick adaptability....

He's kind of a badass if you ask me.

[JohnSJ]

6. What a misleading headline. The mass sites didn't "fizzle", they are alive and well. The Biden

administration has said from the beginning they would be using pharmacies to reach more people, and that has been expanding. They are also looking at mobile approaches.

[IronLionZion]

9. Politico loves doing that

maybe to see if people actually read their biased writing

[JohnSJ]

13. I know. We have a good number of mass vaccination places here in California. We also have

CVS, Walgreens, etc. involved in an all out effort to administer the vaccines

[winstars]

27. There are just 2 FEMA sites in CA, 1 in Alameda and 1 in LA. The LA one is closing in two weeks.

All the other mass vaccination sites are either state, county or city run. LA County is thinking about taking the FEMA site over when it shuts down...

In LA, there are about a dozen mass vaccination sites that are only running at half capacity, waiting for more vaccine.

This week for instance in LA County, all the sites including pharmacies, clinics and the mass sites have received 330,000 doses. Their actual capacity right now is 600,000 and they want to build that out to 1,000,000 a week by mid-late April...

If they can get the vaccine.

[JohnSJ]

37. All I know is the Bay Area has a bunch of mass vaccination centers setup since February

including San Mateo event center, Burger Auditorium in Santa Clara, Stanford has multiple locations setup along with various clinics, Oakland Coliseum, Moscone Center, etc

I have no idea about FEMA involvement, but the vaccine supply was coordinated with the State Government, and appointments were required

CVS, Walgreens, and other pharmacies have been open for several weeks now, and that has been increasing throughout. Appointments required

All as you said is governed by supply

[Delphinus]

19. I didn't realize

Politico was deemed biased. I heard someone from Politico was a guest on 1-A with Jen White last week so thought they might be reporting facts. I didn't listen to the segment so couldn't form my own opinion.

[IronLionZion]

29. Politico will tell you they are not biased

but their reporting tends to hit Dems with headlines like "Dems in disarray" or "Dems are failing at something" when it's not quite true.

[TimeToGo]

32. Truth

[Raven123]

7. Perhaps this is regional. Some mass sites are booked solid

They needed to surge lots of vaccine quickly. Mass vaccine centers worked for some. Pharmacies may work for others.

[sboatcar]

11. I love that they're willing and able to pivot like this

So much of previous presidents' strategies have been to keep pursuing the same thing no matter what, because admitting you were wrong is worse than being wrong and having bad things happen.

[Tikki]

12. My husband, myself and second son received both Modernas through County sites.

Last edited Wed Mar 31, 2021, 09:47 AM - Edit history (1)

First son and over 18 yrs. old grandson received 1st *Pfizer at a Drug Store Pharmacy.

Very grateful Californians here.

Tikki
*Pfizer not Astra/Zeneca

[ZonkerHarris]

30. My 87 year old mother got hers at a giant county site. Went so darn smoothly. it was great

[hamsterjill]

53. Wow. I didn't know Astra Zeneca was being used yet.

Here in the US.

[Tikki]

57. Pfizer...

The rest of the family received the Moderna...I stand corrected.
The son and grandson received the Pfizer.

Tikki

[Deminpenn]

14. There were mass vaccination sites here at PNC

Park (Pirates), Heinz Field (Steelers) and PPG Arena (Penguins). All available slots were booked pretty quickly. But these sites aren't as convenient or as easily accessible as local drug stores. There are Rite-Aids, CVS, Walgreens in many locations especially in small towns.

I wonder if Biden has considered getting Walmart pharmacies on board? As much as some may dislike Walmart, the truth is their stores are everywhere and lots and lots of people go to them regularly.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

16. Locally in South Dakota, Walmart is one of the pharmacies you can get vaccinated at...

... I am at Sioux Falls, SD. HyVee Food and Pharmacy, Lewis Drug (local drugstore chain), Walgreens and Walmart are places you can go to the corporate web site and sign up for your vaccination.

I received my first shot of Pfizer on March 5th, and my second shot on March 26th at HyVee in the middle of Sioux Falls. I signed up on Thursday and picked my time to get my first shot on FRIDAY THE NEXT DAY. By the time I finished the sign up and questionnaire, I had to choose a time 45 minutes later than my first choice, but no big deal. There were about 8 others that showed up right after me at 1:15 pm. All were wearing masks, too! I got in quickly because I have diabetes, at the time of the first shot and paperwork, they asked me if I had any certain conditions as to why I needed/qualified for the program. But I feel they would have given me the shot regardless as I was already sitting there with my shirt sleeve pulled up.

This program is separate from the mentioned mass vaccination sites program, and was originated under Uncle Joe! At the time I signed up and did my research, I read that the vaccinations done under this program are not counted in the state vaccination projects for statistical purposes and the states have no control over it. Which made me even happier about getting it under this program. I do not need to be thankful to Krissy Noem, the governor of South Dakota, for it.

[central scrutinizer]

15. Our county health department has several drive through sites

Easy, non contact, hundreds maybe thousands getting jabbed. Went into a pharmacy yesterday to pick up a prescription. Had six chairs in the middle of the main passageway for Covid shots. Seems like the best plan is to do everything at once. Just don’t waste any vaccine through poor handling.

[Rebl2]

17. The mass

Vax sites in my area have done well and from what I hear, have been very organized.

[CaptainTruth]

20. Pharmacies in my area just got their first vaccines...

...at the end of last week.

CVS, central Florida.

I tried repeatedly but couldn't find an open appointment time nearby, but we both got appointments at the state/county site for Friday.

[kacekwl]

21. I've been to a mass site in Illinois twice

once with my wife and then me. Line long but moved very quickly. In and out in half hour. I made my appointment for my 2nd shot today a week and a half after getting 1st shot. Lot's of appointments avail. Talked to several people who also had similar experiences. I thought the post was a joke at 1st.

[thesquanderer]

22. In New York, pharmacies were just for 65+. If you qualified for some other reason...

...you had to go to one of the gov't-run locations. So the comparison isn't fully apples-to-apples since not everyone had the choice. If gov't run did better vis-a-vis pharmacies in NY compared to elsewhere, that could be a factor. Though also, usage and cost-effectivess are not the same thing.

[ananda]

25. I got mine at a pharmacy. My estimate for daily number..

is based on one vaccine every 5-10 minutes
starting at 9am. I don't know when it ends,
but that would be about 10 per hour.

It was a long drive, but the process was easy
and efficient.

[ZonkerHarris]

26. without the Federal sites Biden would have missed his 100 million shot projections. It's the combina

combination of all site and availability that has delivered the total results so far.
Going forward adapting the distribution is the right thing but it was the all out effort that hit the goals set.

[getagrip_already]

28. I got my first shot at a local CVS pharamcy.... It was a symphony in motion....

They had a check in agent, then you were directed to the end of a line with 6 foot spacing, that wound through the store. I counted 25 people in line and it was like that the whole time I was there.

They had 2 people giving shots, and I had their time for maybe 3 minutes before being wished a good day and calling in the next person. 15 minutes later I could leave.

It was impressive. I thought it was a little odd I was never asked to show an id or insurance card. But they collected a lot of info when I signed up and they did keep asking my last name and birthday.

It was fast, efficient, and pleasant. I don't see an issue expanding pharmacy sites if they all work this well.

[maxsolomon]

33. The Mass Vax locations in WA are going under-utilized

As well as most sites in rural WA, because the State, in an effort to prioritize the most vulnerable, is still being quite restrictive about who can make an appt. And those currently eligible either already vaccinated, aren't able to figure out the system, or don't want a vaccine. Volunteers are sitting around Lumen Field with nothing to do.

Unless I stretch the truth, this 57 year old won't be eligible until May 1. Every one of my younger siblings (in OH, IN, MT) will be fully vaccinated before I am even eligible. And most of my Nieces and Nephews. My elderly Trumpist father has been fully vaccinated for over a month.

I might have to miss the July 4th family reunion as a result.

[retread]

44. I was under the impression(false??) that the age eligibility at Federal sites were set by the feds

not the states.

[maxsolomon]

47. Nope. Biden asked for everyone to be eligible by 5/1

and that's when WA is doing it. but otherwise it's inconsistent from state to state. in OH, everyone >50 has been eligible most of March.

meantime, in WA, there's doses sitting in freezers because the eligibility is very particular.

[MineralMan]

34. I got my shots at the Minneapolis Convention Center

When I talked to the nurse who gave me the second shot, she said they had given 6000 shots the previous day. She had given 120. There were 50 active tables giving shots the day I went. Probably 100 more people working at the site, as well, directing people, monitoring the lines, watching people in the area reserved for watching for reactions, etc.

It wasn't a federal site. That location is run by the state.

I don't know if that's considered a mass vaccination center, but it was hella busy, and very efficient.

[Rebl2]

49. Sounds like

it was to me.

[pwb]

35. One, Politico? Two, Fizzle?

Come on.

[stopdiggin]

39. once again, after 'parsing' the news source

somewhat more carefully ...

"Administration officials said they are not at the point where they are planning to shut down any of the federal pilot vaccination sites; four more sites started operations this week. One senior administration official said the additional sites will add to a “complex puzzle of ensuring the maximum number of Americans are able to get their shots on any given day.”

21 sites across the nation -- going up against a fleet of multiple thousands of local grocery, pharmacy and clinics (that some people find more convenient to their needs) -- but the story here is the "failure" of the megas to "keep pace." Give me a break!

What the government is actually saying is that, over the long run (and the long haul), the local pharmacies and clinics might serve community needs better ... Well, DUH!

[barbtries]

40. Vaccination mobile units

would be a great idea to get the vaccine out to underserved communities imo. I'm scheduled for a web conference on the issue and suggested it; will be interesting to see if anyone addresses my suggestion.
This is in NC for context. there is a great disparity between who's been getting the shots and who has not. Many poor people cannot just get up and go somewhere for their shot.

[hamsterjill]

54. Great idea!!!

n/t

[obamanut2012]

41. The ones down here are busy AF

People are literally lining up at 3 am for 7 am openings. And, Publix, etal appointments are gone faster than Taylor Swift tickets when the appointment portals open.

[greenjar_01]

42. Sounds like a...reasonable adjustment of strategy?

Of course, shithouse Politico out here trying to make it into a failure, when it sounds like "Let's Try A. Oh, B works better? Let's do B then."

You know, the thing adults do when they're genuinely trying to solve a problem rather than just cater to their own self-regard.

[Shermann]

43. That supports my most recent anecdotal experience

Appointments at the mass vaccination site through Atrium Health were almost a month out, while I was able to get an appointment at Walgreens for the next week.

I asked how many shots a day they were doing there at Walgreens, and the answer was around 40. That's every fifteen minutes or so for 10 hours. But there are so many locations between them and CVS and Walmart.

[Sancho]

45. The mass sites here have been busy...

...Tampa was popular, but now the drug stores are taking more appointments.

[oldsoftie]

46. The problem with pharmacies is that they dont hire extra people.

They just over work the ones they already have
According to a pharmacist friend who works at Walgreens anyway

[SunSeeker]

48. The FEMA site in Los Angeles has been VERY successful, giving 7,500 shots daily.

The massive drive-thru FEMA site at Cal State Los Angeles was hoping to give 6,000 per day but ended up giving 7,500 a day, me getting one of them. Now they have announced the site is closing April 11. Huge mistake to close it!

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/covid-19-vaccinations-to-end-at-massive-fema-supported-cal-state-l-a-site/

Once the eligibility opens up, these big drive-thru sites will surely all be as successful. It's nuts to close them just as we're opening up eligibility to everyone over 16.

[nycbos]

50. Really?

I was an able to get a shot at a pharmacy, but I got a shot at a site and run by the Illinois National Guard today with no trouble.

[Lulu KC]

51. Course correction

How adult. How smart. I absolutely love it. You try something, you get info showing it isn't the best way to go, you change. I am intoxicated by this! Go, Joe, go!

[Martin68]

52. Here in Charlottesville, VA they have opened a huge innoculation center in a vacated mall

superstore site. It us a cavernous room, and very efficiently organized and run. The line outside the building is at first glance unbelievably long, snaking back and forth in a fenced line-up area. But it moves remarkably fast. I think we might have waited 15 minutes to get inside, and perhaps 20 to get our shot. Everybody was efficient, informed, and friendly. We are looking forward to our second shot next week.

[Maxheader]

55. Americans would rather go to the pharma...

Pretty well sums it up. The govnmnt needs to setup like a

mash unit. Ability to move into areas where mobility may be

a problem for people. Whatever may be preventing vaccinations....

[Buckeye_Democrat]

56. My initial appointment was through a mass vaccination site.

It wasn't officially designated as such at the time, but it's still being managed by the county's public health department the exact same way despite how it's now labeled as one those long-term mass vaccination sites for Ohio.

Anyway, I was thrilled by the appointment because there were no openings anywhere else!

I later checked for openings at closer locations again, finding a very nearby pharmacy which suddenly had openings now!

So I cancelled the mass vaccination appointment and scheduled with the local pharmacy instead.

The pharmacy was:
(1) Much closer, in a far less congested area.
(2) Probably about 75 times less busy -- i.e., the mass vaccination site was scheduling 150 people per 30 minutes, versus one person every 15 minutes at the pharmacy!

You take what you can get, though! If that pharmacy didn't suddenly have openings, I obviously would've went to the mass vaccination clinic instead and been thankful.