On Tuesday, an advisory
panel added restaurant workers, the homeless, and prison inmates to the next
round of COVID-19 vaccine recipients in Connecticut.
But, Gov. Ned Lamont's allocation subcommittee left other groups in limbo after a debate that got
testy at times.
Phase 1B of vaccinations will begin later this month and covers 800,000 people. Anyone over 75 years old, anyone who takes care of them, teachers, grocery workers, police officers, firefighters, and bus and taxi drivers will be included in that group.
"It's a balancing act, and that's our job is to prioritize. And that's what we should be doing on this committee," says Dr. Michael Carius, of the American Board of Medical Specialists.
Although
the subcommittee added some groups, there's
a sharp disagreement over what to do with seniors under 75 years old and
younger people with underlying conditions.
"We've got to get it out there. We've got to keep it simple," says Dr. Leslie Miller, of the Fairfield County Medical Association.
Some doctors warned that adding too many groups will slow the distribution of the vaccine.
"They want to know when they're going to be included. And if doctors have to have long conversations on why and why not you're included, it's going to be devastating," Miller says.
It will take two and a half months to vaccinate the groups already included in Phase 1B. Adding more people could add more months.
The group hopes to meet again in the next few days to find a compromise.