RI Lags Every Other State in Making Seniors Eligible for Vaccines, Report Says

According to the Providence Journal , a New York Times study shows that Rhode Island is behind all other U.S. states in prioritizing COVID vaccine recipients based on age. This is particularly frustrating for groups like AARP Rhode Island, which has called the proportion of seniors vaccinated "inexplicable, life threatening, and unacceptable." Last week the state began a "pilot" for inoculating people 75 and older, and made a few thousand doses available for people on special-needs registries, letting people sign up if they require extra help during an emergency. Hospitals also are vaccinating certain patients 75 and over. But while state health officials said seniors did not have to do anything to sign up for shots, places like Warwick opened up eligibility via public websites and operated on a first-come, first-served basis. When Rhode Islanders between 60 and 64 become eligible for vaccines, ostensibly in March, those with certain underlying conditions will also qualify. Thus far about 30 percent of vaccine doses in Rhode Island have gone to those over 60, while the latest state data said people over 60 comprised 93 percent of COVID-19-associated deaths in the state.