(Newser)
– Across the US, millions of medically vulnerable people, who were initially cited as a priority vaccination group, have been slowed down on the list as the CDC changed its guidelines to benefit the elderly, regardless of condition. and workers in a wide range of job sectors, according to the AP. North Carolina is just one of 24 states currently placing people under 65 with “underlying medical conditions” near the bottom of the packet to receive the vaccine, according to Jen Kates of the Kaiser Family Foundation. A report he wrote last month listed Pennsylvania as the only state to make vaccines available to medically vulnerable people in the first phase of distribution. When North Carolina unveiled its original guide in October, it placed people with multiple chronic conditions at the top of the list. In response to the CDC’s December recommendations to prioritize people aged 75 and over, however, those with chronic conditions in phase 2 decreased.
When the guide changed again to extend eligibility to those aged 65 and over, medically vulnerable residents learned in January that they would be moved to Phase 4 – to be vaccinated after “essential front workers”, but before “everyone”. The state public health official claims that these residents were moved to the list after health officials received data showing that elderly residents are much more likely to die from COVID-19. Responding to the frustrations of such patients, states are now revising their guidelines. As of Monday, 28 states, including North Carolina, have at least partially opened statewide vaccine eligibility for those with high-risk medical conditions, says Kates. Four other states make the vaccine available to medically vulnerable residents living in certain counties. Maura Wozniak, a 42-year-old Charlotte resident with cystic fibrosis, cried with relief after learning she might soon be eligible. “At least now there is a certain window,” she says.
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