Relatedly I like the idea of prioritizing on risk factors other than profession (healthcare mostly) and age but I really don't know if America is up to the task. How is some local pharmacist with a fridge full of vaccine going to know that one of my friends actually has a very serious heart condition that makes him eligible to be dosed in 1b per state guidance?
Portugal's vaccination campaign has begun and we have the following priorities (for some reason Google translate isn't working so i had to manually
translate this, so please excuse any errors):
Phase 1
--
beginning late December 2020:
- Health professionals involved in patients care
- Armed forces professionals, security forces and critical services
- Professionals and residents in retirement homes and similar institutions
- Professionals and residents of the National Grid of Integrated Continued Care
--
beginning February 2021:
- People aged 50+ with @ least one of the following pathologies:
--- Heart failure
--- Coronary disease
--- Renal failure (Glomerular filtration rate < 60ml/min)
--- Chronic Respiratory Disease under ventilated support and / or long duration oxigenation
Phase 2
--
beginning April 2021:
- People aged 65+ that have yet to be vaccinated
- People between ages 50+ but under 65 with @ least one of the following pathologies:
--- Diabetes
--- Active malignant neoplasia
--- Renal failure (Glomerular filtration rate > 60+ml/min)
--- Kidney Failure
--- Hypertension
--- Obesity
--- Other pathologies with smaller prevalence that may be defined later, in light of scientific knowledge
Phase 3
--
start date AFTER phase 2 ends:
- All remaining eligible population that may have priority
It has been decided that people in important political positions will NOT jump ahead in the priority line: they will receive the vaccine as per the order above outlined: this includes our Prime Minister that, being aged 59, should be vaccinated no earlier than April 2021.
Thus far, 16.7K health care workers have been vaccinated since the vaccine began being administered 3 days ago.