On December 18th, the Federal Drug Administration granted emergency authorization for the use of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for those ages 18 and older, the second COVID-19 vaccine to be approved in the United States. Since the authorization of these vaccines, states have been implementing their phased vaccine rollout plans, but have reached many roadblocks. According to Bloomberg, 4.33 million people in the United States (1.3% of the population) have been given a COVID vaccine since the approval of the Pfizer vaccine, a number far below the government’s goal of having 20 million citizens vaccinated by the start of 2021. A vaccine distribution of this magnitude has not occurred during our lifetime; therefore it can be assumed that there will be delays, setbacks, and weaknesses both in distribution design and implementation.
What are the problems that have been standing in the way? Although it has only been a few weeks since states began providing vaccines to those in Phase 1a, high-risk healthcare workers, first responders, and those working in long term care facilities, we have already seen lags in expectations for vaccinations. Due to the number of vaccinations required to protect the country from COVID-19, the government is leaving vaccination protocols up to the states and merely serves as the main distributor of the vaccine. In mid-December, a dozen states such as Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas saw great reductions in the number of vaccines delivered from the Federal Government. The number of vaccines was reduced up to 30%, which fronted the halt in vaccinations.
Additionally, states are still fine-tuning their system of vaccinating their populations. Moncef Slaoui, a scientific advisor for the vaccine rollout program, told ABC reporters that “there is a learning curve in the system.” Some counties have adopted a first come first serve protocol where people are camping out in order to receive a vaccination. Websites and phone lines have been overrun and crashing, and some states have seen shortages in small glass vials. A great variety in the methodology exists in vaccination protocols across states and hospital systems, and adjustments will be made in the upcoming weeks in order to streamline and speed up the process.
Finally, with the winter season in full swing, snowstorms and extreme weather has cut down the number of days in the Northern States that medical facilities are able to provide vaccinations. Hospitals also encourage employees to stay home if they are feeling sick, which reduces the number of medical professionals available to vaccinate and receive vaccinations.
Despite not reaching the goal of 20 million vaccinations by the end of 2020, there will be a continuous nationwide vaccination rollout campaign into the summer of 2021. A variety of healthcare providers, including primary care physicians and pharmacy workers are enrolling to be eligible to vaccinate and, over time, issues will be confronted and solved.
Whether attempting to accomplish the novel feat of vaccinating the entire world against a virus that has overtaken the world, or simply implementing a new safety protocol for your company, there will be issues and adjustments needed to be made.
What can you do personally in order to prepare yourself and your company?
- Think Ahead: Evaluate your plan to predict any foreseeable issues and develop adaptations to avoid the problem.
- Be Flexible: When something is not working, take a step back and do not fear large changes. Although it may seem intimidating, modifications will provide the greatest benefit in the long run.
- Get an Outside Opinion: Collaboration is key. We, at Evans Brothers Consulting, can directly help your company locate issues that you may have not seen through our years of expertise in risk assessment and crisis management.
The United States will go through many rounds of changes in terms of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout program. It is the general rule that large projects will not be 100% perfect right away, and we are here to help.
Contact us at info@evansbrothersconsulting.com or give us a call at 617-545-1500 and let us see how we can help your business.
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