<p><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5ff5ec5e6d61c10019ccdf0e-2400/line vaccine coronavirus.jpg" border="0" alt="line vaccine coronavirus" data-mce-source="Octavio Jones/Getty Images" data-mce-caption="Seniors and first responders wait in line to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the Lakes Regional Library on December 30, 2020 in Fort Myers, Florida."></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>After over a <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#cases_casesper100klast7days">quarter million deaths</a> from COVID-19 and months of desperately awaiting a vaccine to reach <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/12/17/calculating-our-way-to-herd-immunity/">herd immunity</a>, federal government inefficiency and state prioritization guidelines have led to several million doses of the vaccines on track to <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/americas-vaccine-rollout-disaster.html">expire</a>. </p><p>We must stop wasting these precious vaccines and inoculate on a first come, first serve basis.</p><h2><strong>Many prioritized groups have opted out of vaccination</strong></h2><p>States across the country have set various <a href="https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/phased-distribution-vaccine">prioritization guidelines</a> where particular classes of citizens receive the vaccine in phases. In mostif not allcases, first-line responders, medical workers, and individuals over 60 years old are first to receive the vaccine.</p><p>However, between the slow-moving distribution process behind <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/30/health/covid-vaccines-slow-rollout.html">Operation Warp Speed</a> and countless healthcare workers <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/many-frontline-workers-refuse-covid-19-vaccines-distribution-rollout-struggles-n1252617">opting not to receive the vaccine</a>, vaccine doses are left to sit and expire. Expiring doses are the result of strict phasing guidelines limiting distribution to specific priority groups, such as front-line workers and elderly. These state guidelines are enforced by <a href="https://reason.com/2021/01/04/andrew-cuomo-vaccine-distribution-rules-100000-fine-threat-to-public-health/">steep fines</a> for healthcare professionals who distribute outside of the mandated priority groups. This is evidenced by the mere <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations">13% of the doses</a> distributed to phase 1 facilities which have been given. As for those opting out:<a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-12-31/healthcare-workers-refuse-covid-19-vaccine-access'"> 50%</a> <a href="https://www.latimes.com/science/newsletter/2021-01-05/coronavirus-today-frontline-workers-turning-down-vaccine-coronavirus-today">of California frontline workers</a> have balked at taking the vaccine. Meanwhile,<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nursing-home-staff-ohio-refusing-covid-vaccine-dewine-2020-12"> 60% </a>of nursing home staff in Ohio have refused despite their priority access. And<a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronavirus/more-than-half-of-fdny-firefighters-wont-get-vaccinated-union-poll-suggests/2764027/"> more than half</a> of New York City firefighters have also said they will not take the vaccine. </p><p>Moreover, a staggering <em>62% of Americans</em>, says a recent<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2020/12/03/intent-to-get-a-covid-19-vaccine-rises-to-60-as-confidence-in-research-and-development-process-increases/"> Pew Research poll</a>, are uncomfortable with taking the vaccine, with one out of five respondents not expecting to change their minds at all. </p><p>Ensuring that everyone already convinced of the vaccine's efficacy has access to inoculation should be our first priority. Transitioning to a first come, first serve model is the most efficient way to achieve this. It is the obvious first step to ensure an adequate amount of the American population becomes vaccinated, as it eases the burden of convincing the skeptical, who will have the opportunity to watch what happens to those who have decided to get vaccinated and reevaluate in the months ahead.</p><p>Not to mention, at the current rateonly about 2 million Americans vaccinated thus farit would<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/current-rate-it-ll-be-10-years-americans-adequately-vaccinated-n1252486"> take 10 years</a> to properly inoculate enough Americans to a point of reaching herd immunity. </p><h2><strong>Who's to blame' </strong></h2><p>Governors such as California's Gavin Newsom and New York's Andrew Cuomo are to blame. After all, not only have <a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-public-health-elections-california-gavin-newsom-e84304c65f0f95f96ade7438f425d9d9">they sowed seeds</a> of<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch'v=qqD9AXL7Lgc"> skepticism</a> among the general public about the vaccine for cheap political pointsor, in Cuomo's case,<a href="https://theappeal.org/andrew-cuomo-covid-19-pandemic-criticism/"> a book tour</a> and an<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/11/21/937445923/andrew-cuomo-to-receive-international-emmy-for-masterful-covid-19-briefings"> Emmy</a>but they have been wastefully stringent in distributing the vaccine doses to their citizens. </p><p>For instance, Governor Newsom's (<a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/10/27/western-states-join-californias-scientific-safety-review-workgroup-to-ensure-safety-of-covid-19-vaccine/">and his COVID-inspired "Western States Pact"</a>)<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-vaccine-approved-uk-too-fast-fauci-fda-covid-coronavirus-2020-12"> unwarranted insistence</a> that any FDA approved vaccine undergo additional scrutiny could possibly be a factor in his state's frontline worker's skepticism towards the vaccine. And in New Yorkthe state leading the country in deaths caused by<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/new-york-coronavirus-cases.html"> COVID-19</a>Governor Cuomo's most recent murderous executive order<a href="https://twitter.com/LahavHarkov/status/1345616250832105473/photo/2"> instituted</a> new penalties for healthcare providers who disregard state prioritization schemes in the face of vaccine expiration.</p><p>Enforcing state guidelines seems obviously less important compared to the significant loss incurred from each expired vaccine dose. Elderly patients and frontline workers are of course most at risk of COVID-19and, at first glance, it makes good sense to prioritize them receiving the vaccinebut with many refusing inoculation to the point of wastefulness, alternatives must be considered. </p><p>Ultimately, to avoid expirations, state leaders need to get serious about simply using the vaccinesgiving to anyone and everyone who wants it.</p><p><em>Anthony DiMauro is a New York-based writer. He has been published in </em><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-11/golf-courses-may-be-l-a-s-affordable-housing-fix"><em> </em><em>Bloomberg</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/racial-inequality-racism-discrimination-union-job-employment-2020-8"><em>Business Insider</em></a><em>,</em> <a href="https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/09/glory-holes-pandemic-rise.html"><em>Slate</em></a> <em>and</em> <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/What-Democrats-and-Republicans-get-wrong-about-15418974.php"><em>elsewhere</em></a><em>. You can follow him on Twitter @AnthonyMDiMauro.</em></p><p><em>Leonard Robinson is a business journalist who has been published in Consumer's Research, Baltimore Business Journal, Carolina Journal, and Reason among others. You can follow him on Twitter @leonardwrites </em></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/need-to-prioritize-incarcerated-people-as-covid-vaccine-is-distributed-2020-12" >We need to prioritize incarcerated people as the COVID vaccine is distributed</a></strong></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/states-local-covid-restrictions-dining-pandemic-laboratories-inconsistent-chaos-2020-12" >Local COVID restrictions have turned states into the laboratories of inconsistent chaos</a></strong></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-we-stop-wasting-covid-vaccines-first-come-first-serve-2021-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story »</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/literacy-test-louisiana-disenfranchise-black-vote-2016-6">We took a 1964 Louisiana literacy test and failed spectacularly</a></p>
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