Confusion about eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccination and a lack of safeguards to prevent not-yet-eligible people from making appointments has allowed some residents to receive a shot before they’re technically allowed, raising concern that the state’s most vulnerable residents aren’t being adequately prioritized.
Responding to the confusion, which has unfolded on multiple fronts in recent days, and to “ensure there is clarity,” acting Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Deidre Gifford recently reminded health districts and other vaccine providers of the “absolute necessity of adhering to the governor’s direction on allocation.”
Currently, the state is in Phase 1B of vaccinations, which will eventually include more than 1.