With Covid-19 Vaccine Waiting Lists in the Millions, Some Skip the Line

Across the U.S., people are flouting eligibility rules and using connections to get a coveted shot 

By Scott Calvert and Cameron McWhirter of The WSJ. Excerpts:

"Board members of a Rhode Island medical system were invited to get vaccinated, regardless of their age or occupations. Judges and their staff received vaccines ahead of schedule at a Nevada medical center. And a SoulCycle fitness instructor in New York got a shot after saying she was an educator.

While millions of Americans await their turn during the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, some people are securing the coveted injections before they are eligible by tapping connections or circumventing their states’ rules."

"Lifespan said board members were offered vaccinations the second weekend in January, when the health system opened up eligibility to employees who didn’t interact with patients and to volunteers. “We have been working closely with [the state Department of Health] and carefully followed their guidance from the start,” a spokeswoman said. Care New England didn’t comment.

A state health-department spokesman said hospitals were allowed to vaccinate their whole organization, including radiology staff, off-site employees and volunteers, noting that they are “active in the operation of a hospital.”"

"After judges and staff with the municipal court in Reno, Nev., got vaccine shots at a medical clinic, City Manager Douglas Thornley said the court employees had used personal relationships to skirt Nevada guidelines."

"In DeKalb County, Ga., which includes part of Atlanta and a portion of its suburbs, health workers found that some people who were issued QR codes that enabled them to sign up for a vaccine appointment then shared them with friends, said S. Elizabeth Ford, the county’s district health director."