New Online Tool Assists Citizens When and Where They’d Be Vaccinated

A new Vaccine Allocation Planner Tool developed by Ariadne Labs and the Surgo Foundation shows Americans when they may be able to get the coronavirus vaccine, and which center they should go to if they qualify for the vaccine.

The new Vaccine Allocation Planner for COVID-19 helps state and county decision-makers by estimating the size of these populations in every county of the US and the percent vaccine coverage achievable under various scenarios. The tool uses the 13 priority populations identified by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine. Users can order these priority groups according to recommendations from either NASEM or the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

Source: AARP

Although the general public will not gain access to the vaccine at least until spring 2021, the questionnaire on the tool calculates approximately how many people in the area are set to get vaccinated ahead of the user, as well as how many Americans are in their priority group. All a user has to do is enter which state and county they live in, their age, job, and whether they have any pre-existing conditions.

Stating its methodology on the website, the online tool claims, “This Planner provides county-level estimates of vaccine dosage allocation while accounting for overlaps between priority population groups. We are working to develop subsequent versions with new features and have included a list of planned additions in the document. Results may change as we refine our methods, as recommendations change from various official bodies, and as the qualities of the available vaccines become clear.”

Source: Yahoo News Canada

The planner provides state and county decision-makers with the localized data they need to plan vaccine distribution, based on available vaccine doses, priority populations, and vulnerable communities in each state.

Meanwhile, US Surgeon General nominee Dr. Vivek Murthy said he predicts that every American will have access to a COVID-19 vaccine by early fall. “If everything goes well, then we may see a circumstance whereby late spring people who are in lower-risk categories can get this vaccine,” Murthy said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”