New Hampshire went through a tragic stage in the pandemic this week, recording 1,000 state deaths due to COVID-19. But there was also some good news. On Tuesday, the state began what is likely to be a month-long vaccination campaign for people aged 65 and over, as well as younger people with serious medical conditions – what is called “Phase 1B” of its launch.
NHD Todd Bookman spoke with Considering all things host Emily Quirk to discuss the current state of the pandemic and a new challenge that has emerged in recent days: getting a second dose of vaccine in a timely manner.
(Editor’s note: the following transcript was slightly edited for clarity)
Emily Quirk: Help us put 1,000 deaths in perspective. Apart from the human number, how does this number compare to other causes of death in New Hampshire?
Todd Bookman: The state records about 12,000 deaths each year, with the leading causes of death being cancer and heart disease. But in 2020, COVID-19 has also become one of the main causes.
So, to put that number of 1,000 deaths in perspective, in 2019, a year before COVID, about 300 residents died of heart attacks, less than 100 died in car accidents, and there were about 500 deaths from Alzheimer’s disease.
The flu, which some people have also compared to COVID-19 in the early stages of the pandemic, killed 31 people in 2019. So more than 1,000 deaths from COVID-19 in less than a year, that decreases all these figures. The risk of coronavirus, especially for older granite deposits, is quite clear.
EQ: Well, those older granite states – people 65 and older – are now starting to get vaccinated, along with residents who have serious medical conditions. How did the launch of this process go?
TB: It worked for some. Not for others.
(Click here to read the full NHPR vaccine distribution guide)
The registration process for vaccine scheduling requires completing two different forms online: a state website and then the CDC form, also known as VAMS. I’ve heard a lot of people say that multiple steps are confusing or they don’t get the proper confirmation emails, and this is proven in numbers.
More than 200,000 completed the first step, but only about 120,000 people managed to make their first dose meeting. So tens of thousands of people start and don’t finish the process, a pretty big gap.
EQ: For those who managed to complete the process, the first doses were given on Tuesday. I saw photos of some very happy people shooting themselves in the car, the National Guard coordinating the process …
TB: Yes, after all, those who receive appointments and arrive on the spot do not face serious delays. Currently, there are about a dozen sites that operate at the state level, and these sites have been tested in recent weeks, as this is where the first respondents went to get their doses.
So now that more people are eligible, including those 65 and older, the photo management system right in your car seems to work well.
EQ: But the second-shot coordination system … not so much. What is the last thing about people receiving appointments for the second dose of vaccine?
TB: This problem has arisen in the last day or two. Once you receive the first dose, people need to log back into the system to make an appointment for the second dose.
NHPR has heard from a small number of people that the system is completely booked for weeks.
“When I passed by and saw the meetings, I was a little amazed, because the earliest I could get was 57 days out,” Deborah Woodward of North Hampton told us.
EQ: So 57 days between the first and second dose: it’s much longer than I heard about the recommended interval between these photos, right?
TB: Right, and this has a lot of people concerned. The Pfizer version of the vaccine is designed to be given at least 21 days apart, with the Moderna version 28 separately. These are the minimums. This is how these vaccines were tested and eliminated for use.
And, according to the CDC, approaching the recommended range is ideal. But that’s not exactly what we hear from state officials. This week, Gov. Chris Sununu was asked about the long delay in dosing and said basically don’t worry:
“It does not affect the effectiveness of when you receive the second dose,” Sununu said. “The first dose remains very effective and you receive the second dose. There is a very long period of time, all indications are that it can stretch a little. ”
But the CDC website says the window between doses 1 and 2 should not extend more than 42 days or 6 weeks. Thereafter, drug companies have no data on the effectiveness of vaccines.
This left a lot of people worried and frustrated about scheduling a second dose.
EQ: So what does the state do about it?
TB: Nothing has been formalized yet, but the state says it will open new meeting slots for those receiving the second dose. Right now, officials say you go ahead and make a second appointment in the system, even if it’s more than 6 weeks, and the state will somehow contact or reschedule people at some point with previous appointments. We just don’t know when this process can begin.
And it raises the question of why the system is not already designed to do both meetings simultaneously.