State Lessons in Vaccine Rollouts

Federalism is again proving its value in getting shots in arms

WSJ editorial. Excerpts:

"The risk is that Team Biden tries to micromanage state administration of the vaccine, especially now that the media, Democrats and some public-health officials are blaming slow state rollouts on a “vacuum” of federal leadership. But vaccine administration was always intended to be state-led, and too many jurisdictions squandered the ample time they had for preparation.

This criticism is also wrong because the biggest state mistakes so far have been adhering too much to the federal government’s initial guidance to limit the first batches to health-care workers and long-term care residents, followed by front-line employees and those over age 75. States couldn’t find enough takers, and precious doses ended up in the trash.

The most successful state rollouts have departed from overly prescriptive federal rules. North Dakota stuck with the initial recommendations on health-care workers and nursing-care residents, but then threw open its program to anyone age 65 and up, as well as to adults with underlying health risks. South Dakota added law enforcement and corrections staff to its initial tiers, and then also moved quickly to inoculate 65-and-older adults and school workers. The states with the highest per capita vaccination rates are all rule-breakers—Alaska (12,885 per 100,000), West Virginia (11,321), and North Dakota (9,602) as of Jan. 23." 

"West Virginia opted out of a federal program that puts CVS and Walgreens in charge of vaccinating most nursing homes, an initiative that is moving at a turtle’s pace. The state used a network of 250 local pharmacies—most of which had existing relationships with patients, which sped up scheduling and paperwork. It also enlisted its National Guard to lead on logistics, with the Guard delivering vaccines to the state’s long-term care facilities and hosting vaccination clinics that are now becoming common elsewhere."