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COURT HOUSE – While many are struggling to get Covid vaccine appointments online, more than 2 million homebound residents nationwide are waiting for a plan that will enable them to get the shot, including a 64-year-old Wildwood Crest woman.
Debbie Frommer, who is homebound from the effects of medicine she takes following a heart attack, wants to get a Covid vaccine, but is frustrated because there doesn’t seem to be a plan addressing how to vaccinate homebound individuals nationally or locally.
“We are currently using the Moderna vaccine,” noted Denis Brown, administrative aide to the Board of County Commissioners. “There are stability issues with the vaccine that would make it very difficult to go home-to-home to administer.”
Frommer’s medicine causes her to retain fluids, which affects her balance and ability to walk, and causes other health issues. She falls in the 1B category of individuals eligible for the vaccine; however, she is unable to leave her home.
“I have a doctor who comes monthly to check me out, but he said he can’t afford the refrigeration costs for the vaccine,” Frommer said. “I have friends with cancer and a wide range of other illnesses who can’t leave their homes, so what are we supposed to do?”
The phased rollout plans for the vaccines have been drawn up at the state level (http://bit.ly/3jIHDOq), and health care personnel, long-term care residents and staff, first responders, and individuals at high risk are eligible for the vaccine under Phases 1A and 1B. However, the first two vaccines on the market, from Moderna and Pfizer, must be stored at ultra-cold temperatures.
Besides refrigeration requirements, Brown pointed out that the scheduling system and number of doses are controlled at the state level.
“We are working with those who can leave their home to use our Fare Free Transportation to go to the vaccine site to get their dose,” Brown said. “We have asked the state, but have not received additional guidance, as of yet, on what the process will be for those who cannot leave their home.
“The scheduling system, how many doses we receive, etc., is decided at the state level. Within those confines, we are doing everything we can to get those doses out as quickly and safely as possible. This includes having our Department of Aging reaching out to the most vulnerable residents to assist them with getting vaccinated.”
Brown said the state Department of Health (DOH) and the county DOH “has aggressively been working on strategies to ensure its most vulnerable residents receive the Covid vaccine. There are stability issues with the Moderna Covid vaccine that makes it very difficult to disperse to individual locations/residences, such as the homebound.
“The county continues an aggressive effort to reach the most vulnerable populations, including the use of our Fare Free Transportation, to the vaccination site.
“The county does not control the number of doses that we have at any given time,” he stressed. “The state gives us the vaccine, and, at the moment, they are not supplying a great deal to us or any other county.”
The state also handles the appointment eligibility scheduling system, which prioritizes people based on the 1A and 1B phases that are open.
Brown explained, “The county’s job is to administer the doses we have to the people who are informed by the state that they can schedule appointments. The number of appointments is tied directly to the number of doses. The county cannot schedule an appointment without a dose of vaccine to give.
“We are delivering each dose we get as rapidly as possible,” Brown added. “We have a second vaccine clinic ready to open if and when the state ramps up the distribution of vaccine. Unfortunately, we cannot get vaccine from any other source, so we are dependent on the state for doses of the vaccine. We continue to push the state to supply us with more doses.”
Frommer hopes “they can figure this out, but then the supply is not there.
“That’s worrisome,” she pointed out. “I’ve been trying to come up with ideas to help figure this out. Maybe there is a way to contact some of the businesses who used to ship refrigerated foods to use their trucks and put people back to work who aren’t working now because of this pandemic.
“Maybe this new Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the answer, but it still hasn’t been approved. I’m trying to stay positive, but it would be better to have something rather than not having anything.”
Brown said homebound people with medical service providers should contact them first about getting access to the vaccine.
The county is in discussions with the state about the feasibility of a mobile vaccination unit. “All of the vaccination efforts are very fluid, and processes are in development,” he pointed out. “This does not mean that these residents are not important to the vaccination effort, or that we are not giving consideration to how to get them vaccinated.
“We are hopeful that as more vaccine doses become available to us, we will have a mechanism in place to get the vaccine to everyone who wants it.”
For vaccine information, Brown urges residents to visit http://bit.ly/3adbwU0.
People who have limited or no computer access, or are not computer savvy, can use the New Jersey Covid Vaccine Hotline to make an appointment for a vaccine by calling 855-568-0545. It is open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.
