This commentary is by Lisa Winkler of Bridport, a fundraiser, community volunteer and activist with no known preexisting conditions except acutely exacerbated exasperation.
I have been closely following the Scott administration’s response to the global pandemic since last March and now paying extremely close attention to its Covid-19 vaccine rollout plan. I’ve been listening to the semi-weekly press conferences, reading the weekly reports, following news stories.
The more I learn, the more (burning) questions I have. There is a chasm between the rationale of “following the data” and the actual data being produced. I did some digging and found:
According to the Vermont Department of Health’s Weekly Summary of Vermont Covid-19 Data reflecting cases identified between March 5, 2020, and Jan. 13, 2021, the 70-plus age groups have the lowest percentage of Covid-19 testing out of all the age groups. This also means the percentage of positive cases and ultimately deaths is not tracking accurately in these age groups. In addition:
- 84% of the deaths from Covid-19 have occurred in long-term care facilities (59%) or inpatient hospital settings (25%).
- Less than 3% of people 70 and older (in the lowest tested group) testing positive are associated with an outbreak in a non-health setting.
- While only 20% of all people testing positive for Covid-19 are associated with an outbreak, 72% of Covid-19-related deaths have occurred in outbreak settings (congregate housing sites, hospitals).
- Meanwhile, 40% of all positive cases in all age groups have/had a CDC-considered preexisting condition.
Phase 1A of the Covid-19 vaccination rollout plan was to vaccinate all health care workers and residents in congregate housing settings and hospitals (including ski patrol staff?), since that is where the most deaths have occurred. Great, right, correct. Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine is often quoted as saying, “We are going by the numbers, we are following the science, we want to prevent deaths.”
The age bands of people in Phase 1A has a direct correlation to the settings where these people live — settings with the highest percentage of deaths (long-term care facilities and hospitals). Now that this first group has been vaccinated, it is time to look to what the data and science are next telling us.
The highest percent of Covid-19-positive cases is people with CDC-considered pre-existing conditions — 40% of Vermonters testing positive across all age bands. These are also the people in hospitals, in treatment, in the workforce, in our schools as teachers, staff and students; they are working in our stores, they are our loved ones, and they are people we have never met. They are now the most vulnerable.
“The age bands are easy to define and describe,” said Mike Smith, secretary of the Agency of Human Services. Stubbornly sticking to an age-band mentality for ease of process despite the data does not serve any of us well. In fact, it’s detrimental to our health.
As of Feb. 6, 2021, Vermont is 16th in the nation in terms of percentage of shots given versus doses received (71%). At least 10 states have included people with preexisting conditions in their first phases of vaccinations (many more are still considering), and a dozen states have broadened the age to 65-plus. Those that have predefined, preexisting conditions are more likely to contract and/or die from Covid-19 than elderly people living outside a care facility or hospital setting. Period.
It’s time to do the math and the right thing and open up access to vaccines so that more lives may be saved.
