Vaccination Complications in Nevada
Bo Brusco | February 13, 2021
Photo by Hakan Nural from Unspalsh
With heroic speed, modern science has wrought the first weapon of defense against the COVID-19 virus, but while the FDA approved the first vaccine back in December 2020, the distribution thereof has been complicated. Especially in Nevada, many citizens still have a long time to wait before they can be vaccinated.
The Pandemic in Nevada
In June of last year, Nevada reportedly had the highest rate of transmission in the U.S. Now with almost 280,000 cases, only 37,568 Nevadans have received their vaccinations according to the CDC’s “Data Tracker,” accounting for 1.2% of the state’s population. The only state that has a lower rate of vaccine distribution is South Carolina, according to news3lv.com. While the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been approved by the FDA with 95 percent effectiveness, the majority of Nevadans will have to continue to wait their turn.
“I’m not getting on an airplane or staying in a hotel until I’m vaccinated,” says Annette Lincicome, a 67-year-old Las Vegas local, “and I’m still going to wear my mask, maybe two of them.” Lincicome has lived in Nevada for over 27 years now and has been doing her best to stay quarantined since last February.
Even though Lincicome has yet to receive her vaccination, she has been very understanding of the state’s timetable. When asked when she thought she would be able to receive the vaccine after hearing about the approval of Pfizer’s back in December, Lincicome said “Trying to be optimistic, I was hoping to be vaccinated in February, so there’s still time, but I knew it would take a while and I also knew there would be a lot of people ahead of me in line.”
Lincicome’s husband, Dave Lincicome, being 72 and in one of the first tiers of vaccine recipients, was able to receive his first dose of the Moderna vaccine in mid-January. “That day they asked him to create an account for their app,” Lincicome recounts, “they contacted him for the first week or so, daily, monitoring his reaction.” Dave Lincicome was instructed to come back on the 13th of February to receive his second dose, but according to Annette, “They gave him a date when his specific second shot was due but did not schedule him an appointment.” Despite the ambiguity, Annette remains hopeful that she and her husband will be vaccinated soon.
Hyperlinks for Infographic sources:
First reported case of COVID-19 in U.S., First reported COVID-19 related death in the U.S., CDC’s data on COVID-19 deaths., Moderna vaccine’s clinical trial publication., FDA’s first emergency use authorization of a vaccine., Pfizer’s vaccine was a scientific “Breakthrough.”, Former Vice President Mike Pence’s statements on COVID-19 Vaccines., Nevada received its first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine., CDC’s data on vaccinations in the U.S., Population Data of the U.S.
Today, only 37,568 Nevadans have received their complete doses of the vaccine, which accounts for roughly 1.2 percent of the state’s population. Though it has only been less than two months since the state received its vaccines, 1.2 percent is a far cry from the percentage needed to reach herd immunity. During an interview with CNBC last December, Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested that 70 to 85 percent of a population would need to be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity.
Nevada’s Vaccine Phases
Nevada, like most states, has a calculated distribution plan for COVID-19 vaccines. According to nvhealthresponse.nv.gov, healthcare personnel will be the first permitted to receive the vaccine, followed by “staff and residents of long-term health facilities,” then “non-healthcare essential workers.” From there, hopeful recipients will be prioritized according to their age, starting with citizens 70 years of age and older. The last demographic to be prioritized before the general public will be people with “high-risk medical conditions who possess risk factors for severe COVID-19 illness.”
Nevada, like most states, has a calculated distribution plan for COVID-19 vaccines. According to nvhealthresponse.nv.gov, healthcare personnel will be the first permitted to receive the vaccine, followed by “staff and residents of long-term health facilities,” then “non-healthcare essential workers.” From there, hopeful recipients will be prioritized according to their age, starting with citizens 70 years of age and older. The last demographic to be prioritized before the general public will be people with “high-risk medical conditions who possess risk factors for severe COVID-19 illness.”
Desperate Times
The slow-going nature of Nevada’s vaccine distribution is in large part is due to what the Nevada Current describes as a “lack of manpower.” Simply stated, medical personnel in the state are understaffed and overworked. As a result, “Vaccine Hunters” is becoming a popular term for citizens in the southern part of the state who desperately seek opportunities to get vaccinated. According to KTNV Las Vegas, some of these hopeful recipients have been able to get their vaccinations “without an appointment, and without even meeting the state’s current qualifications to get the vaccine.”
What the Vaccine Means
When asked what getting vaccinated would mean to her, Annette Lincicome was less concerned with herself and seemed more focused on the big picture and her role in it: Doing her part to mitigate the spread. “It would mostly be a sense of security,” she explained, “but I don’t think my behavior would change very much. I would mostly feel secure that I wasn’t passing it anywhere.” The fight against the virus has been long and taxing. While the general public has little control over who gets vaccinated and when, resources like immunizenevada.com are readily available to all who are eager to help the state reach herd immunity, as mentioned by Dr. Fauci, or even for those who have questions or concerns regarding the vaccines.
