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-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
Texas, Florida vaccinate the elderly first in departure from CDC guidelines
2020-12-24
[PostMillennial] The state of Texas has decided to give priority to the elderly and to people with health issues over essential workers in their strategy for coronavirus (aka COVID19 or Chinese Plague)
...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men...
 vaccination.

This move is considered unusual by some, as it goes against the guidelines set forth by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and by the federal government.

According to NBC News, people 65 years and older and those suffering from certain medical issues will be able to be fast-tracked for receiving the vaccine in Texas before any other groups.

Within the US, the policies for who gets the doses and in what order is set at the state level, so more than one state is expected to deviate from recommended norms and make their own decisions in the matter, as is their Constitutional right.

Imelda Garcia, the Associate Commissioner for Laboratory and Infectious Disease Services at the Texas Department of State Health Services, said:

"The focus on people who are age 65 and older or who have comorbidities will protect the most vulnerable populations. This approach ensures that Texans at the most severe risk from COVID-19 can be protected across races and ethnicities and regardless of where they work."

Florida's governor Ron DeSantis has already stated that Florida would adopt a model similar to that of Texas, prioritizing people of advanced age and those with comorbidities. DeSantis said during a presser recently:

"The vaccines are going to be targeted where the risk is going to be greatest, and that is in our elderly population. We are not going to put young, healthy workers ahead of our elderly, vulnerable population."
Posted by:trailing wife

#5  One of the most recognized consequences of aging is a decline in immune function. While elderly individuals are by no means immunodeficient, they often do not respond efficiently to novel or previously encountered antigens. This is illustrated by increased vulnerability of individuals 70 years of age and older to influenza (1), a situation that is exacerbated by their poor response to vaccination (2–4).


In other words, science lost to politics.
Well, never mind, the protection conferred by immunization is likely to be short-term anyway.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2020-12-24 10:12  

#4  Yes, got mine earlier in the week, HFMFU.
Posted by: Besoeker   2020-12-24 09:58  

#3  CDC = Me first!, the most vulnerable, later...
Posted by: Ebbomoger Speaking for Boskone4589   2020-12-24 09:55  

#2  The concern is how to reduce the impact on hospitals and thereby allow the sickets to recieve care. Its pretty simple.

The group with the highest risk of hospitalization and death is the one consuming the most resources. They should be first to get vaccinated.

Most healthcare workers, especially those in direct care like patient aides, lab techs, and most nurses, are under age 60 and in adequate health. So although they are more likely to contract the Rona due to repeated exposure, they are significantly less likely to need hospitalization, need an ICU bed, or die from it.

The most vulnerable, most often hospitalized, and most often dying are the elderly. Fact is that the median age of death remains 80 years or so.

Followed by those over 18 with the listed comorbidities, like diabetes, heart disease or heart failure, pulmonary issues, and extreme obesity.

Everyone else can wait because there is a 99.98% chance that if they get the disease they will not die from it, the majority of whom will have either no symptoms or only mild ones, and then be out and about after 10 days or so.
Posted by: Deadeye Jaiting7534   2020-12-24 09:28  

#1  Health care workers more likely to catch it; elderly more likely to die from it. There's some logic to that.
Posted by: Bobby   2020-12-24 08:05  

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