The state’s Vaxfinder (failed) website has cost taxpayers up to $250,000.
Let’s see. Doesn’t that translate into a quarter of a million dollars?
🙁
I believe at this point that we (U.S.) are threading the needle. The numbers still aren’t good. Yet, we’re not (yet) seeing a surge like Europe is. Our vaccination numbers are FAR superior to every other EU nation. I think that at this point the vaccinations are beating back the virus. Not crushing it yet. But holding off surges in the U.S.
Vaccine hesitancy is down to 30% in the U.S. In Europe – except UK where there is only limited hesitancy – hesitancy is rising (not diminishing like it is here) and it’s anywhere between 44% and 60%, depending on the country. This is the biggest news that practically no news outlet is reporting. I intend to focus on it in a piece this week. While there are supply issues in Europe, I believe the more difficult issues for government officials in Europe to navigate have less to do with supply and more to do with: a. hesitancy; b. inability to come up with innovative logistics solutions (such as mass vaccination centers in stadiums). This is an area that U.S. excels at. I’ll just give you one example, but there are many more. ALL 30 NFL owners have offered their stadiums as mass vaccination sites. While I’ve heard of a few soccer club owners in Europe doing the same, most of the vaccination sites have to literally be constructed – almost like a field hospital – and that is holding things back.
So while I can be critical of the U.S. for some of its policies, I have to say the U.S. is closing out on Covid-19 better than its European counterparts. We still have a ways to go, and progress will be uneven. But, at this point I believe we will be in a better place this summer than the European continent. And that has caught me by surprise and is newsworthy.
I still remain very critical of vaccination distribution here. I hope that very soon ANY adult (on a whim) can turn on their computer or smartphone, get on a website within milliseconds and register with “minimal” personal information for an appointment in less than 5 minutes and be 100% guaranteed to get a shot in the arm at the appointed time/date. We need to stop these “phases” and strive to have a “come one, come all” approach. I am still waiting to receive an email from BWH “just for an invitation” to “register” for an appointment. And who knows then how long thereafter I will have to wait for the appointment to be confirmed? Don’t call us, we’ll call you?
I don’t dare hold my breath waiting for my vaccination RSVP, let alone the vaccination itself.
I do get it, Philip. I’ll be in that situation soon when it’s my turn to get on the computer and phone to try and book an appointment. I believe I need to wait until April.
My observation is more of the big picture. I think Americans are a self-critical bunch (myself included). And I believe this is a good thing. We tend not to be smugly satisfied with ourselves. So, of course, our vaccine rollout leaves much to be desired. Yet, it’s a whole lot better than most countries. Amazingly so. And I am going out on a limb a bit, but I believe our steady vaccination rate of the most vulnerable is really having a major impact, impeding the ability of variants to take hold. The battle isn’t over yet. But, the vaccines are winning. I’ve now seen enough data to suggest that. Could I be totally wrong … again? Yes. Perhaps we will simply follow the same path the Europeans are on, with a resurgence. But, at this point I’m beginning to be skeptical of Fauci, Osterholm, and others who keep pointing to a resurgence. They know more than I do. So, I will defer to them on expertise. It’s more of a gut feeling, based in part on the fact that our vaccination rate is nearly 3 times that of Italy and France that are seeing a resurgence in cases and hospitalizations. The differential in vaccinations must be the difference. I can’t explain it otherwise.
I am grateful to the Trump Administration’s Operation Warp Speed and the Biden Administration strong push on getting vaccines into arms. I’m not partisan in this regard, even though I have voiced and will continue to voice criticism of Trumpists and others whose messaging was not in the interest of public health.
C-19 for 3-8 is ready.
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Your no-hype southeastern New England weather blog!
The state’s Vaxfinder (failed) website has cost taxpayers up to $250,000.
Let’s see. Doesn’t that translate into a quarter of a million dollars?
🙁
I believe at this point that we (U.S.) are threading the needle. The numbers still aren’t good. Yet, we’re not (yet) seeing a surge like Europe is. Our vaccination numbers are FAR superior to every other EU nation. I think that at this point the vaccinations are beating back the virus. Not crushing it yet. But holding off surges in the U.S.
Vaccine hesitancy is down to 30% in the U.S. In Europe – except UK where there is only limited hesitancy – hesitancy is rising (not diminishing like it is here) and it’s anywhere between 44% and 60%, depending on the country. This is the biggest news that practically no news outlet is reporting. I intend to focus on it in a piece this week. While there are supply issues in Europe, I believe the more difficult issues for government officials in Europe to navigate have less to do with supply and more to do with: a. hesitancy; b. inability to come up with innovative logistics solutions (such as mass vaccination centers in stadiums). This is an area that U.S. excels at. I’ll just give you one example, but there are many more. ALL 30 NFL owners have offered their stadiums as mass vaccination sites. While I’ve heard of a few soccer club owners in Europe doing the same, most of the vaccination sites have to literally be constructed – almost like a field hospital – and that is holding things back.
So while I can be critical of the U.S. for some of its policies, I have to say the U.S. is closing out on Covid-19 better than its European counterparts. We still have a ways to go, and progress will be uneven. But, at this point I believe we will be in a better place this summer than the European continent. And that has caught me by surprise and is newsworthy.
I still remain very critical of vaccination distribution here. I hope that very soon ANY adult (on a whim) can turn on their computer or smartphone, get on a website within milliseconds and register with “minimal” personal information for an appointment in less than 5 minutes and be 100% guaranteed to get a shot in the arm at the appointed time/date. We need to stop these “phases” and strive to have a “come one, come all” approach. I am still waiting to receive an email from BWH “just for an invitation” to “register” for an appointment. And who knows then how long thereafter I will have to wait for the appointment to be confirmed? Don’t call us, we’ll call you?
I don’t dare hold my breath waiting for my vaccination RSVP, let alone the vaccination itself.
I do get it, Philip. I’ll be in that situation soon when it’s my turn to get on the computer and phone to try and book an appointment. I believe I need to wait until April.
My observation is more of the big picture. I think Americans are a self-critical bunch (myself included). And I believe this is a good thing. We tend not to be smugly satisfied with ourselves. So, of course, our vaccine rollout leaves much to be desired. Yet, it’s a whole lot better than most countries. Amazingly so. And I am going out on a limb a bit, but I believe our steady vaccination rate of the most vulnerable is really having a major impact, impeding the ability of variants to take hold. The battle isn’t over yet. But, the vaccines are winning. I’ve now seen enough data to suggest that. Could I be totally wrong … again? Yes. Perhaps we will simply follow the same path the Europeans are on, with a resurgence. But, at this point I’m beginning to be skeptical of Fauci, Osterholm, and others who keep pointing to a resurgence. They know more than I do. So, I will defer to them on expertise. It’s more of a gut feeling, based in part on the fact that our vaccination rate is nearly 3 times that of Italy and France that are seeing a resurgence in cases and hospitalizations. The differential in vaccinations must be the difference. I can’t explain it otherwise.
I am grateful to the Trump Administration’s Operation Warp Speed and the Biden Administration strong push on getting vaccines into arms. I’m not partisan in this regard, even though I have voiced and will continue to voice criticism of Trumpists and others whose messaging was not in the interest of public health.
C-19 for 3-8 is ready.