esjro

My questions are regarding vaccine distribution, as in the state where I live (NJ) it has been a cluster: eligibility opened to a level where demand far exceeds supply, and dozens of registration systems that are not user friendly, especially for the vulnerable older population.

Does the data suggest that federal and local governments and private distributors (hospitals, pharmacies, etc.) are making improvements to their processes, or will The Hunger Games scenario continue indefinitely?

Second, I see a lot of stories on social media about people skipping the line (lying about eligibility, getting vaccininated through personal connections, etc.) Is there any data to indicate what percentage of the people getting vaccinated actually meet CDC guidelines for eligibility at this time versus sneaking in? In other words, are the shots going into the arms they are intended for during this phase?

Thanks for doing this AMA!

Interesting. Sadly, I guess it follows that what has so far been a disjointed approach to getting shots into arms will result in huge gaps in the data regarding whose arms the shots went into.

Thank you to you both for the replies and additional links. Keep up the great (and important) work! Thanks again.

Respectfully, I have to disagree. When appointments are opened they are filled within minutes. People are spending hours hunting for places with availability and trying to get appointments. People who work outside the home or those who are not internet savvy are at a serious disadvantage. The NJ COVID vaccine info Facebook page is full of desperate people who have been trying to get appointments and failed - some of the stories are heartbreaking.

There is still a supply issue. NJ is supposed to get 250k doses next week (up from 100k in previous week), but some of that will be used for second doses and still is not enough for the 4 million people Murphy magically made 1A.