COVID-19 Vaccination - Equitable Distribution ... 2020

 

The demand for the vaccine far exceeds the supply. To quantify the gap, the initial batch booked by the U.S. Government can cover no more than 15% even if all patient access issues are addressed, much smaller if you take the patient access factors into consideration. The U.S. represents about 5% of the world population. As a pandemic that needs to cover every person on the face of this earth (as polio vaccination has mostly addressed), the demand-supply disparity is even more dire. I limit the remainder of this post to the U.S. context.

Rationing is inevitable when a scarce resource has to be equitably distributed to a large population. Who gets how much? We have heard of criteria (a) health care workers and first responders, (b) other essential workers, (c) high risk individuals. At first glance, these criteria seem reasonable. The rubber meets the road in the execution.

Having lost all faith in the checks and balances in the U.S. judicial and executive branches, I pose the following (possibly, rhetorical) questions, so we as conscientious citizens navigate the challenge.

Using affluence and influence to beat the system is not uncommon - whether it is for dodging the draft, or getting a not-so-accomplished child into a top-notch school, or declaring the Vice President as an "essential worker" so he can campaign for the election.

Even if the corruption factor doesn't exist (or, we ignore for a moment), how does one say one person needs to be ahead of another when they are in the same categories as above? Who makes those determinations? Does it open up a laborious legal procedure, as we have seen with frivolous lawsuits to question the recent election results?

Perhaps, the imminent change of leadership will help, as the leaders will lead by example. However, they cannot carry the entire burden of fixing the fabric of the nation faster than COVID-19 will ravage the country. 

We have civil ways of addressing someone who cuts the check-out line at the grocery store or the check-in line at an airport gate - following generally accepted principles. The need of the hour is such collective, social conscience. There is too much at stake to let bullies of any sort take charge .. again.