Doctors urge federal and state governments to let them vaccinate vulnerable patients against COVID-19

Doctors in New York and five other states are urging the Biden Administration and state governments to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to community-based physicians so they can immunize the country’s most vulnerable patients.

“It is time to change the game plan on the distribution of the vaccine and get the vaccine to the people rather than having the people go to the vaccine,” the medical societies of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Ohio said in a joint statement yesterday.

“Unfortunately, so far, hospitals, chain pharmacies and mass vaccination sites have been prioritized at the expense of those who know their patients’ needs best – the community physician,” the groups said.

Community physicians can quickly identify the most vulnerable and can reach large numbers of patients who suffer from significant co-morbidities and cannot travel to a vaccine distribution site because of health reasons or lack of access to transportation, the medical societies said.

Community-based physicians each care for thousands of patients each and can quickly identify those patients who are most of risk of getting COVID-19 or having complications due to their comorbidities, the doctors’ groups said. 

The vaccine “could very well stop this pandemic in its tracks,” the groups said. “The key though is to ensure that we engage all facets of the health care system and that includes the community-based physician,” they said in the statement.

Though vaccine manufacturing and distribution will ramp up significantly in the coming months, vaccine supplies are still scarce. In the 10 weeks since vaccine doses began being allocated to states by the federal government, New York has received an average of under 232,000 doses per week. Vaccine supplies for the current week have been delayed by winter storms across the country, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last night. They are expected to be delivered by Sunday.

Vaccinations are available by appointment only. Currently in New York, all persons eligible to be vaccinated under state guidance — more than 50% of the state’s population — can receive their shot at one of the state-run mass vaccination sites. There are currently two sites on Long Island, one in Suffolk at Stony Brook University and one in Nassau County at Jones Beach.

Of the nearly 5 million Long Island residents, 393,402 residents have so far been fully vaccinated (excluding nursing home residents who are being vaccinated under a separate federally run program.) Another 259,000 people have received their first dose, according got the State Health Department.

People age 65 and up can get their vaccines at certain pharmacies, including Walgreens, CVS and Walmart (in addition to the state’s mass vaccinations sites.)

People with comorbidities — underlying health conditions that increase their risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19 — can presently get their shots only at state-run mass vaccination sites. Municipal workers with comorbidities can be vaccinated at a county-run site at Suffolk County Community College in Selden. First responders, teachers and other designated frontline workers can be vaccinated at two county-run sites in Suffolk, at SCCC’s eastern and Brentwood campuses.

Local elected officials have been calling on the state to establish one or more mass vaccination sites on the East End because of the distance from Stony Brook site — more than 50 miles one-way from most locations on both forks. Southold Supervisor Scott Russell said expecting elderly residents to make such a trip for a vaccine is “ridiculous.” Both Russell and Riverhead Supervisor Yvette Aguiar say they are prepared to open vaccination sites in town-owned buildings.

Officials are also calling for the state to change its approach to scheduling vaccination appointments, citing equity issues that arise from requiring people to be able to constantly monitor the state website for appointments that become available sporadically.

State Assemblyman Fred Thiele recently likened the current system to “the sequel to ‘The Hunger Games’” and said it should be modified so that providers contact residents who have pre-registered when vaccine appointments are available.