Alternative Vaccine Rollout Proposals? (1 Viewer)

[The Z Machine]

As we get closer to the time where regular people (not high risk, not essential workers, just regular working stiffs) are eligible for the COVID19 vaccine, I was thinking about some interesting ways to roll them out.  Obviously people at high risk for bad outcomes and high risk of contracting virus should get priority.  however, if we assume "non categorized" people make up the majority of the population, and most of those want to get a vaccine, this could be a great way to really change communities or boost $$ available for COVID19 related economic pain.

Proposal #1: You may get priority in the line if you volunteer your time for community service (trash pickup, park restoration, curb painting, sidewalk replacement, street sign repair, etc.)  Signups would be by "auction" whereby you put down how many hours you are willing to do over the next 3 months.  Higher the bid, the higher your spot in the list.  Alternative or in addition: Make this straight up pay to play.  You want priority and can pay for it?  It's a fixed % based on a sliding scale of your income from last year's tax returns.  All $$ goes to PPP loans or COVID unemployment.

Proposal #2: Make it by birth year, starting at 1946 and working backward.  Random lottery draw based on last 4 digits of SS number.  You get assigned a time slot.  You get 1 reschedule chance.  If you decline your appointment, you go to the back of the line and wait until everyone 18 years or older that wants a vax can get it.

Any other creative rollout strategies?  Obviously lots of pitfalls and tons of inequality baked into these.

 

[DaVinci]

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[The Z Machine]

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Suck it, @Zartan

 

[Stompin' Tom Connors]

Honestly, I'd be satisfied if some of the best private logistics experts -- the Amazons, Walmarts, UPSs, etc. -- companies with proven track records of logistics and supply chains -- were to be more involved in roll out. 

I have a lot of respect for the military's ability to administer logistics, and not saying they should simply be replaced -- this can be an "and" not an "or."

Forget creativity, what's needed is leveraging existing expertise and infrastructure.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Make this straight up pay to play.  You want priority and can pay for it?  It's a fixed % based on a sliding scale of your income from last year's tax returns.  All $$ goes to PPP loans or COVID unemployment.

That seems like a really, really bad idea for about 20 different reasons.

 

[parasaurolophus]

My preference would have been 

1. Over 85, nursing home residents and employees, HCWs

2. 65-84

3.  Everybody else

Obviously not creative, but all these different groups are just asking for problems. 

 

[gianmarco]

I'd just let Amazon do it at this point. Teach all the drivers how to give the vaccine. We'll have everyone vaccinated by Saturday. Wednesday if you have Amazon Prime.

 

[Shatner!]

Just dump the vaccine in the water supply.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

As we get closer to the time where regular people (not high risk, not essential workers, just regular working stiffs) are eligible for the COVID19 vaccine, I was thinking about some interesting ways to roll them out.  Obviously people at high risk for bad outcomes and high risk of contracting virus should get priority.  however, if we assume "non categorized" people make up the majority of the population, and most of those want to get a vaccine, this could be a great way to really change communities or boost $$ available for COVID19 related economic pain.

Proposal #1: You may get priority in the line if you volunteer your time for community service (trash pickup, park restoration, curb painting, sidewalk replacement, street sign repair, etc.)  Signups would be by "auction" whereby you put down how many hours you are willing to do over the next 3 months.  Higher the bid, the higher your spot in the list.  Alternative or in addition: Make this straight up pay to play.  You want priority and can pay for it?  It's a fixed % based on a sliding scale of your income from last year's tax returns.  All $$ goes to PPP loans or COVID unemployment.

Proposal #2: Make it by birth year, starting at 1946 and working backward.  Random lottery draw based on last 4 digits of SS number.  You get assigned a time slot.  You get 1 reschedule chance.  If you decline your appointment, you go to the back of the line and wait until everyone 18 years or older that wants a vax can get it.

Any other creative rollout strategies?  Obviously lots of pitfalls and tons of inequality baked into these.

There is no word in the English language that accurately captures how strongly opposed I am to Proposal #1 and it's alternative.  The point of this is to get shots in people arm's, not clean up our local parks.  One thing at a time, please.

Proposal #2 is okay in principle but too complicated in practice.  A simple distribution system is probably better than a complex one.

I would just go with first come, first served unless it becomes obvious that that isn't going to work.  Given the number of people who say they'll decline vaccination, though, this should be fine.

 

[Osaurus]

Just dump the vaccine in the water supply.

Or chemtrails. Why reinvent the wheel? 

 

[The Z Machine]

Given the number of people who say they'll decline vaccination, though, this should be fine.

I think in very large urban areas with a high demand, first come, first served would be a disaster.   You would need many hundreds of distribution points to serve those millions of people.  These vaccines can't be distributed like that due to the storage and handling requirements. 

 

[The Commish]

I think in very large urban areas with a high demand, first come, first served would be a disaster.   You would need many hundreds of distribution points to serve those millions of people.  These vaccines can't be distributed like that due to the storage and handling requirements. 

This is where I think the Johnson and Johnson contribution will be huge.  It can go in ANY basic refrigerator.  At that point, ANY doctor's office could be a contact point for an individual.  It's efficacy may be in the 70-80% range compared to the 95% range, but it's going to be significantly easier to distribute.

 

[dawgtrails]

Suck it, @Zartan

@zyxys says hold me beer

 

[Willy]

I think the shortage is temporary.  

When I see HCW getting the shot at 50% or less, and these are the folks who first hand see the worst cases.  I wonder what the real demand will be for the general public.  Supposed to be 2 additional vaccines approved in February.  Once those roll out we're probably going to have more supply than demand - mostly because I think demand is way less than it should be. 

The FDA chief is saying they should open up to more groups   https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/08/covid-vaccine-fda-chief-encourages-states-to-open-shots-to-more-people.html?recirc=taboolainternal

Also it was just announced they are changing the distribution to favor the states that are getting shots into arms - https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/12/covid-vaccine-us-to-change-allocation-to-favor-states-that-quickly-administer-shots.html?__twitter_impression=true&recirc=taboolainternal

Probably best not to overcomplicate it.  If anything we should focus on public buy in so we can actually get out of this mess by fall.

 

[The Commish]

I am unaware of a shortage...what did I miss? 

To the original question..."alternate" implies there is an actual approach.  I think that's being very generous and appreciate giving the benefit of the doubt.  This is what healing looks like IMO.  That said, it caught my eye/ear when I heard that they'd be shifting focus to those who were getting shots out.  So I went looking and you'd be shocked to know that there is no real metric that's been established to say what "getting shots into arms the best" actually means.  It seems like a talking point with no bite.  For example, is a state that's allocated 1.6 doses and gotten 600K of those into arms in the last month one that rises to that bar of "quickly"?  By any rational measure I'd say no, but who knows?  

 

[Willy]

Sorry if I was not clear.  I didn't mean there is no inventory or a problem with supply chain. I meant if access were wide open we'd exhaust current supply pretty quickly, at least in the short run. 

 

[The Commish]

Sorry if I was not clear.  I didn't mean there is no inventory or a problem with supply chain. I meant if access were wide open we'd exhaust current supply pretty quickly, at least in the short run. 

Thanks.....I haven't seen that inventory was the bottleneck though.  Even if it were completely open this very second, we'd still have a problem getting the vaccine into people...that seems to be the bottleneck (trying to give benefit of the doubt here).

 

[Drunken Cowboy]

This is where I think the Johnson and Johnson contribution will be huge.  It can go in ANY basic refrigerator.  At that point, ANY doctor's office could be a contact point for an individual.  It's efficacy may be in the 70-80% range compared to the 95% range, but it's going to be significantly easier to distribute.

It would be amazing if it is 70% effective. It needs to be 50% effective to be considered for use.

 

[The Commish]

It would be amazing if it is 70% effective. It needs to be 50% effective to be considered for use.

Right....and logistics are significantly easier on it too.

 

[The Z Machine]

Probably best not to overcomplicate it.  If anything we should focus on public buy in so we can actually get out of this mess by fall.

Yes, you're exactly right.  Same thing IK posted.  This is hard enough.  Let's not complicate things.

This thread mostly came from the thought exercise about what amount of $ I would pay for a vaccine right now, and then what if that $ could be turned into community service hours.

 

[belljr]

My big thing is I get wanting to get healthcare/frontline done first but don't hold back if that group isnt finished or they are losing doses.  There are plenty of people on lists looking to get them.

 

[the rover]

This is where I think the Johnson and Johnson contribution will be huge.  It can go in ANY basic refrigerator.  At that point, ANY doctor's office could be a contact point for an individual.  It's efficacy may be in the 70-80% range compared to the 95% range, but it's going to be significantly easier to distribute.

Johnson and Johnson announced that it is months behind in production.  Even if it does get temporary emergency authorization, by the time it is available in any significant volume most people should have had the opportunity to get one of the other vaccines.

 

[The Commish]

Johnson and Johnson announced that it is months behind in production.  Even if it does get temporary emergency authorization, by the time it is available in any significant volume most people should have had the opportunity to get one of the other vaccines.

wow...hadn't heard that....that sucks

 

[belljr]

They are behind but we are getting out of this until May June anyway so it will be welcomed

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

Also there are people in other countries.

 

[lakerstan]

How about getting the Election commissions involved.  Instead of doing an election, you do a vaccination.  Instead of voting booths, you have vaccination stations.  And instead of “I voted” stickers, you get a proof of vaccination card.

If we can get millions of votes in a 2 week span, you could do the same with vaccinations.  Maybe enlist people in nursing programs and other medical professionals (including retired medical staff) to actually deliver the vaccine, but you could get non-medical volunteers to help coordinate.  One medical professional per 15 stations or something.

You just can’t wear your “Vote Pfizer - Moderna sucks” t-shirt within 100 feet of the booths.  It is a process most in America are familiar with.

 

[The General]

Outside of getting the best possible people in charge of oversights and mechanisms to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible I don't have any crazy ideas.

I do like ideas to incentivize people to get this. Monetarily seems to be the best way to do this.

 

[AAABatteries]

Alphabetically by FBG user name.

YES!