The Homa Files

They’re all ahead of me in line for COVID vax shots … and I’m not happy about it.
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OK, I admit that this is personal.

Since I’m in the 65 to 75 age bracket (pardon me if I don’t get more specific), I’m officially COVID-vulnerable.

So, I’m eager to get vaccinated … and frustrated.

Maryland Gov. Hogan self-proclaims himself to be a straight-talking former business guy who knows how to get stuff done.

So, it’s disappointing that Maryland is near the bottom of the heap for vaccine inoculations … with a very low percentage of available doses being shot into arms.

COVID vaccines have challenging distribution logistics (many distribution points, essential freezer storage, certification of innoculators, required booster shots).

And, there are supply-demand “discontinuities”: a surplus of people (like me are chomping at the bit to get shots) … and some folks who have high dibs on the first doses are anti-vax and refuse to get vaccinated.

For example, according to the Baltimore Sun:

• Only 85% of nursing home residents are lining up for shots
• Only about 1/2 of nursing home staff are get inoculated
• Less than 1 in 3 law enforcers are signing up for shots

With that as a backdrop, here’s my beef…

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According to the Annapolis Capital Gazette …

Maryland has been restricting the vaccine to the first tier of vaccine priorities:

• frontline health care workers at the county’s two main hospitals
• other health care workers at private practices
• health department employees
• long-term care facility residents and staff
• first responders

Note: It’s not obvious to me why ALL first responders should get priority.

By definition, most first responders are relatively young (certainly younger than 65) and in relatively good health (they get regular physicals, right?).

If any contract COVID, they’re most likely to be sidelined for a couple of weeks … not killed by the virus.

Worst case, first responder “capacity” is reduced temporarily, but that should thrill the large number of defunding advocates..

Save for my question re: 1st responders. so far, so good.

But restricting the vaccine to the above groups isn’t efficiently using up the state’s inventory of doses.

So, Gov. Hogan has added a few groups to the top priority tier, including:

• judiciary workers
• corrections staff
• prisoners

Are you kidding me?

As a “vulnerable”, law-abiding citizen, I get sorted behind convicted criminals?????

And it gets worse.

Once those groups have had their bite at the apple, the list expands to include:

• hospital board members
• lawyers
• the media

Say, what?

Once the lawyers and media are protected, Hogan is comfortable making the vaccine available to “residents older than 65 and residents with high-risk health conditions”.

So, I guess that I  can mark my calendar for late spring.

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The DC mayor has announced that she’s opening the vaccines’ candidate pool to all DC residents who are over 65.

So, I guess I have 3 options:

• Commit a crime, get convicted, get  incarcerated … and then roll up my sleeve.
• Move to DC
• Be patient and hope I don’t catch COVID waiting for the vaccine.

Is this crazy or what?

This entry was posted on January 12, 2021 at 8:30 am and is filed under COVID - vaccine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.