Cruise Lines pressuring CDC to open cruising by July

[CruisingHogFan]

1 hour ago, BecciBoo said:

So is Arkansas up to age 18

Arkansas is 16 or older. The issue is only 12% of the state population is vaccinated which is one of the worst in the country. I hear so many people that say they have no plans to get it.

[DCGuy64]

I can hear the head of the CDC right now: "despite the administration's rollout of multiple vaccines ensuring every adult American could have access to a vaccine by May 1, far too many people are choosing not to get vaccinated, which impedes our goal of herd immunity, so for that reason, we cannot lift the Conditional Sailing Order at this time." (to be repeated every month for the next 5 years until all of the mega cruise ships have left the US for good).

🙄

[Mary229]

25 minutes ago, CruisingHogFan said:

Arkansas is 16 or older. The issue is only 12% of the state population is vaccinated which is one of the worst in the country. I hear so many people that say they have no plans to get it.

You never know.  It is left to the states to update the tally and I know Texas is far ahead of what some media sites give it credit for.  Like Arkansas we have the additional difficulty of having quite a bit of rural population which is more difficult to service.  Just earlier this month they started a program to home delivery vaccines to the very elderly in more remote regions.  

 

And I say this once again.  When it was a bunch of retired folks it was quicker, they could show up at the drop of a dime.  Young people with a job simply cannot fool around with the hub system.  They need to walk into the neighborhood pharmacy on their schedule, not some bureaucrat's schedule.  Once it gets there a lot of resistance will be removed.  

Edited March 30, 2021 by Mary229

[grandgeezer]

31 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

You never know.  It is left to the states to update the tally and I know Texas is far ahead of what some media sites give it credit for.  Like Arkansas we have the additional difficulty of having quite a bit of rural population which is more difficult to service.  Just earlier this month they started a program to home delivery vaccines to the very elderly in more remote regions.  

 

And I say this once again.  When it was a bunch of retired folks it was quicker, they could show up at the drop of a dime.  Young people with a job simply cannot fool around with the hub system.  They need to walk into the neighborhood pharmacy on their schedule, not some bureaucrat's schedule.  Once it gets there a lot of resistance will be removed.  

Can you imagine the line at the local pharmacy if it was walk up? It probably would hinder the whole other operation of the store, especially if you have to wait 15 minutes afterward to see if you'll have a reaction. They also receive a limited supply of vaccine so if you  aren't inline when they open up, you are out of luck. How many days are you willing to go through that? With an appointment you'll at least get the shot.

 

[ArthurUSCG]

41 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

You never know.  It is left to the states to update the tally and I know Texas is far ahead of what some media sites give it credit for.  Like Arkansas we have the additional difficulty of having quite a bit of rural population which is more difficult to service.  Just earlier this month they started a program to home delivery vaccines to the very elderly in more remote regions.  

 

And I say this once again.  When it was a bunch of retired folks it was quicker, they could show up at the drop of a dime.  Young people with a job simply cannot fool around with the hub system.  They need to walk into the neighborhood pharmacy on their schedule, not some bureaucrat's schedule.  Once it gets there a lot of resistance will be removed.  

Maryland has something close to that and it is awful. Each pharmacy is managing their own appointments. So we have to check each pharmacy, doctors office and county run vaccination site for an appointment. If it was centrally managed, then it would be so much easier to get an appointment.

The way things are in MD, it is resulting an a far from equitable distribution, favoring the wealthy that can afford to pay someone to check hourly or someone that has the time to constantly check each website. Thus the lower income segment of the population with out internet access or time between jobs can't get the vaccine, this is also the segment of the population that is suffering from more of the covid related deaths or hospitalizations. They are also the ones that are more responsible for spreading covid since they have to keep working to eat.

[Mary229]

17 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

Can you imagine the line at the local pharmacy if it was walk up? It probably would hinder the whole other operation of the store, especially if you have to wait 15 minutes afterward to see if you'll have a reaction. They also receive a limited supply of vaccine so if you  aren't inline when they open up, you are out of luck. How many days are you willing to go through that? With an appointment you'll at least get the shot.

 

My pharmacy has an appointment scheduler online for any vaccine. Maybe I  should have made that clear. 

[Mary229]

8 minutes ago, ArthurUSCG said:

Maryland has something close to that and it is awful. Each pharmacy is managing their own appointments. So we have to check each pharmacy, doctors office and county run vaccination site for an appointment. If it was centrally managed, then it would be so much easier to get an appointment.

They need the improve the process but that is the only way you are going to get lots of young, working people to go.  OR, they could start offering massive weekend drive up clinics.  What's with that, not giving vaccines on the weekends?  When we got our polio vaccine it was Sunday after church, right there at the church,

Edited March 30, 2021 by Mary229

[orville99]

4 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

They need the improve the process but that is the only way you are going to get lots of young, working people to go.  OR, they could start offering massive weekend drive up clinics.  What's with that, not giving vaccines on the weekends?  When we got our polio vaccine it was Sunday after church, right there at the church,

In Florida virtually every grocery store/drug store/big box store with a pharmacy is doing vaccinations. Literally within a 15 minute walk from my front door I have a Publix, a CVS, and a Walgreen's that are all giving vaccinations.  Several of the county run sites in central Florida are vaccinating 7 days a week, and at least three are running evening hours for people who work during the day. The local fire department is going door-to-door in underserved communities doing vaccinations to anyone who answers their door.

 

It can be done if the state, counties, and municipalities are working from the same page.

[ArthurUSCG]

7 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

They need the improve the process but that is the only way you are going to get lots of young, working people to go.  OR, they could start offering massive weekend drive up clinics.  What's with that, not giving vaccines on the weekends?  When we got our polio vaccine it was Sunday after church, right there at the church,

We have mass vaccination sites but the governor was slow to start them and allocated more vaccines to local pharmacies then the sites. The mass sites are 7 days a week, and are centrally managed but the other sites are all separately managed.

[mek]

17 minutes ago, ArthurUSCG said:

Maryland has something close to that and it is awful. Each pharmacy is managing their own appointments. So we have to check each pharmacy, doctors office and county run vaccination site for an appointment. If it was centrally managed, then it would be so much easier to get an appointment.

The way things are in MD, it is resulting an a far from equitable distribution, favoring the wealthy that can afford to pay someone to check hourly or someone that has the time to constantly check each website. Thus the lower income segment of the population with out internet access or time between jobs can't get the vaccine, this is also the segment of the population that is suffering from more of the covid related deaths or hospitalizations. They are also the ones that are more responsible for spreading covid since they have to keep working to eat.

So why hasn't someone come up with the idea of a mobile unit going into lower income areas to administer shots?  Sort of like the mobile mammogram busses, but no advance appointment required - just show up and get the J&J shot so no 2nd visit required.

[time4u2go]

21 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

They need the improve the process but that is the only way you are going to get lots of young, working people to go.  OR, they could start offering massive weekend drive up clinics.  What's with that, not giving vaccines on the weekends?  When we got our polio vaccine it was Sunday after church, right there at the church,

Is that just Texas, or other states also?  I hadn't heard of that restriction.

[Mary229]

1 minute ago, time4u2go said:

Is that just Texas, or other states also?  I hadn't heard of that restriction.

I don't know.  I drove by some Louisiana hubs last weekend and there was nothing going on.  I assume it is not a restriction, I assume it is what it is

[Mary229]

18 minutes ago, orville99 said:

In Florida virtually every grocery store/drug store/big box store with a pharmacy is doing vaccinations. Literally within a 15 minute walk from my front door I have a Publix, a CVS, and a Walgreen's that are all giving vaccinations.  Several of the county run sites in central Florida are vaccinating 7 days a week, and at least three are running evening hours for people who work during the day. The local fire department is going door-to-door in underserved communities doing vaccinations to anyone who answers their door.

 

It can be done if the state, counties, and municipalities are working from the same page.

That is great to hear.  Here they keep advertising the pharmacies but when people call there are no vaccines.  On the Texas website they show exactly the vaccines they are given and the distribution.  They are giving every single vaccine that they receive within a week.  I understand the pharmacies are on a separate program and are supposed to receive their allotment directly from the feds.  I guess the bottleneck is the federal government not sending out adequate supply to meet demand

Edited March 30, 2021 by Mary229

[not-enough-cruising]

11 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Is that just Texas, or other states also?  I hadn't heard of that restriction.

I can’t speak for any other states but I can speak for Texas. The mega vaccine centers are able to distribute all the vaccine they are allocated in any given week in about two or three days so there really is no reason for them to do weekend vaccinations. 

[HBE4]

14 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

 I guess the bottleneck is the federal government not sending out adequate supply to meet demand

 

That's it. There is just not enough supply to go around right now. New York is giving them out as fast as they get them, around 90% of vaccines allocated have already been administered.

 

20 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Is that just Texas, or other states also?  I hadn't heard of that restriction.

 

New York state has some sites operating 7 days a week.  NYC has (or had) some sites open 24/7. I believe some shut down or educed hours not because of lack of demand but lack of supply.

 

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by HBE4

[firefly333]

51 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

They need the improve the process but that is the only way you are going to get lots of young, working people to go.  OR, they could start offering massive weekend drive up clinics.  What's with that, not giving vaccines on the weekends?  When we got our polio vaccine it was Sunday after church, right there at the church,

I think in texas they think by mid april there will be extra doses available and easier to schedule in Texas. Even if it takes a few more weeks soon we will be down to those who dont really want it.

[smokeybandit]

New York has vaccinated among the fewest seniors, too.

[time4u2go]

46 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

I can’t speak for any other states but I can speak for Texas. The mega vaccine centers are able to distribute all the vaccine they are allocated in any given week in about two or three days so there really is no reason for them to do weekend vaccinations. 

One reason might be to make it available to those that have to work during those two or three days (unless the sites are open late).

[BecciBoo]

2 hours ago, CruisingHogFan said:

Arkansas is 16 or older. The issue is only 12% of the state population is vaccinated which is one of the worst in the country. I hear so many people that say they have no plans to get it.

I am in Mountain Home, where are you?  I thought I heard on the Governor's update last week it was 18 and over.  Also heard him say 68% are vaccinated here.

 

From yesterday: 

OVID-19 in Arkansas – CDC shows state has passed 1M ...

https://www.kark.com › news › health › coronavirus

 

 

 

Mar 23, 2021 — The data also shows 1,466,960 doses available through those programs, giving the state a 68.75 percent vaccination administration rate. This ...

Edited March 30, 2021 by BecciBoo

[Mary229]

53 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

That's it. There is just not enough supply to go around right now. New York is giving them out as fast as they get them, around 90% of vaccines allocated have already been administered.

 

 

New York state has some sites operating 7 days a week.  NYC has (or had) some sites open 24/7. I believe some shut down or educed hours not because of lack of demand but lack of supply.

 

 

The ones going to the states are drying up but I wonder about the pharmacies, still.  They get their supply direct from the feds.  Who knows?

 

But by everyone reporting here the problem is supply not demand so I just don't get all the hand wringing and angst about people who don't want a vaccine.  Talk is cheap.  Just wait until their wife or mother takes them out to the woodshed and tells them to get a vaccine.  I know how it works in my house😁

[CruisingHogFan]

7 minutes ago, BecciBoo said:

I am in Mountain Home, where are you?  I thought I heard on the Governor's update last week it was 18 and over.  Also heard him say 68% are vaccinated here.

 

From yesterday: 

OVID-19 in Arkansas – CDC shows state has passed 1M ...

https://www.kark.com › news › health › coronavirus

 

 

 

Mar 23, 2021 — The data also shows 1,466,960 doses available through those programs, giving the state a 68.75 percent vaccination administration rate. This ...

I’m in NWA. I read that article last week.  The 68.75% is that amount of people vaccinated from the number of the available vaccines in our state. Meaning there is a extra 32% of available vaccines that are not being used....
 

As of the date of the article  only 10% of the state population was vaccinated that information is found at the end of the article...

 

Our vaccinated rate has gone up to 16% as of today.

[DCGuy64]

2 hours ago, ArthurUSCG said:

Maryland has something close to that and it is awful. Each pharmacy is managing their own appointments. So we have to check each pharmacy, doctors office and county run vaccination site for an appointment. If it was centrally managed, then it would be so much easier to get an appointment.

The way things are in MD, it is resulting an a far from equitable distribution, favoring the wealthy that can afford to pay someone to check hourly or someone that has the time to constantly check each website. Thus the lower income segment of the population with out internet access or time between jobs can't get the vaccine, this is also the segment of the population that is suffering from more of the covid related deaths or hospitalizations. They are also the ones that are more responsible for spreading covid since they have to keep working to eat.

Maryland has been scouting out sites for mass vaccinations, one of them is FedEx field:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/washington-football-team-fed-ex-field-covid-19-vaccine/65-e9c87351-0324-477a-bfb1-0932603a2dcc

That should help, I believe.

[cruiselvr04]

I have two daughters in their 30’s who just were able to get on a schedule for April in Arkansas so people who want it are waiting but it’s getting better.

 

Texas has a few places open on the weekends.  The DH gets his second on Saturday.

 

Back to topic - If they make the rule everyone under 16 must have had the vaccine to board why are they still saying no.  That’s when it doesn’t make sense.  So it will limit who sails for a while.  So maybe that will keep occupancy down.  Or even say no one under 16.  Open it for those who can go and get people back to work and play.  If the crew isn’t vaccinated, vaccinate them too.  It’s just not that hard. I’m starting to tire of the no’s when there are now reasonable solutions.  That creates work arounds like Nassau and St Marten.  But that keeps the Florida and Galveston economy from getting back to normal.  

[grandgeezer]

55 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Maryland has been scouting out sites for mass vaccinations, one of them is FedEx field:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/washington-football-team-fed-ex-field-covid-19-vaccine/65-e9c87351-0324-477a-bfb1-0932603a2dcc

That should help, I believe.

I live in AZ and they’ve been using one of the parking lots at the Cardinals Stadium from the start and have gotten very efficient at it. It operates 24/7 and the last I heard they do about 9,000 per day. They say they are running short of volunteers, and because of the summer heat on the way, they will drop down to just evenings and early mornings starting, I believe, after next week. They are looking for large indoor options to pick up the slack.

[time4u2go]

9 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

I live in AZ and they’ve been using one of the parking lots at the Cardinals Stadium from the start and have gotten very efficient at it. It operates 24/7 and the last I heard they do about 9,000 per day. They say they are running short of volunteers, and because of the summer heat on the way, they will drop down to just evenings and early mornings starting, I believe, after next week. They are looking for large indoor options to pick up the slack.

Isn't the stadium itself a large indoor option?