The introduction of two vaccines brings us miles closer to seeing these “unprecedented times” behind us. However, I think we still have more hurdles to face between now and seeing this virus in the rearview mirror.
Most counties are facing a struggle to administer vaccinations because federal mandates get passed down to states, which then get passed to counties with little to no guidance or funding. Without federal guidelines, states have the freedom to choose how they wish to distribute vaccines. This has led to significant differences in vaccine distribution from state to state and even county by county. However, I’m not sure it’s fair to be overly critical of vaccine distributions when many public health departments are doing the best they can with the resources they have and without robust procedures to guide them.
I currently work as the program coordinator for the Masters in Gerontology in the School of Health and Human Sciences at UNC Greensboro (UNCG) and hold a graduate certificate in gerontology from UNCG, as well as a Ph.D. in Public Health Education. Since December, I have been patiently waiting for my turn to receive the Covid-19 vaccine. As an educator, I am considered an essential worker in North Carolina (Phase 3) and the vaccine is supposed to be available “soon.”