The US Deserves a Better Vaccine Rollout Than This
Canceled appointments and a lack of supply will hurt uptake of the updated shots.
But are they really?
Photographer: Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty ImagesThe rollout of this fall’s Covid vaccine has been frustrating. When CDC authorized the Covid shots for everyone 6 months and older on Sept. 12, the expectation was they'd be available within days. That hasn't proven to be the case. Instead, appointments seem readily available, only to be cancelled at the last minute; surprise bills for vaccines touted as free abound; and the littlest children seem left out altogether.
Avoiding a tripledemic this winter hinges on public health officials striking the right message to consumers, one that emphasizes both the new Covid booster and a flu shot — and, for those eligible, one of the new RSV vaccines. But convincing people to roll up their sleeves won’t help without a shot ready to sink into their arms.