HomeMy WebLinkAbout01272021_Ott_VaccinationFrom:Tracie LAST_NAMETo:Board of Health
Subject:Fwd: RE: Covid Vaccine
Date:Thursday, January 28, 2021 11:23:11 AMAttachments:image001.png
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Dear Board of Health,Please see my comments of concern below.When I was & still am eligible (phase 1A) I was not allowed to receive the vaccine.Tracie Ott
---------- Original Message ----------From: "tracott@comcast.net" <tracott@comcast.net>To: DOH COVID Vaccine <COVID.Vaccine@doh.wa.gov>Date: 01/28/2021 11:09 AMSubject: RE: Covid VaccineDear Rhiannon,Thank you for your reply.I want to know why??? organizations such as Jefferson Healthcare in Port Townsend is allowed to discriminate againstcaregivers.I received a letter from State of Washington Department of Social and Health Services,Aging and Long-Term Support Administration, dated 8 Jan 2021, from Bill Moss, Asst. Sec. and I'll quote:
"The Washington State Department of Health has included long-term care workers, including home care workers, duringPHASE 1A of Covid-19 vaccination distribution plan. This means that YOU ARE ELIGIBLE to be part of thefirst phase of vaccines that will be administered in Washington."You tell me Washington State is now in Phase IB. --That comes AFTER 1A. Again, why is Jefferson Healthcare allowed to tell caregivers in Phase 1A they are not eligible? You write: "Please go to Phase Finder to assess your eligibility and find locations where you can go to get vaccinated. Ifyou are in phase 1a and 1b tier 1 and there are no vaccination locations available in your area, we encourage you tocontact your local health jurisdiction. If you have any questions about the vaccine, please check outwww.CovidVaccineWA.org."My desire is for you to document that while I have been eligible for some now, Jefferson Healthcare has chosen to discriminateagainst caregivers who carry eligibility letters. Their system only used age as a factor. Wrong, wrong, wrong.Against basic Civil Rights.Tracie Ott
On 01/28/2021 9:55 AM DOH COVID Vaccine <covid.vaccine@doh.wa.gov> wrote:
Hello Tracie,
Thank you for your question. We are eager to pick up the pace to get vaccines to people who need them.Over time, our goal is to ensure all Washington State residents receive access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Butwe appreciate your patience as we focus on the highest risk groups first and then phase in others over time asthe vaccine allows.
We are now in phase 1b tier 1, which includes the following people who are eligible to get the COVID-19vaccine:
All people age 65 years and older.People 50 years and older in multigenerational households. There are two categories of people who areeligible under the multigenerational household definition:People who are (a) over the age of 50 AND (b) are not able to live independently who either:are receiving long-term care from a paid or unpaid caregiver, orare living with someone who works outside the home
People who are over the age of 50 AND are living with and caring for a grandchildNo one under age 50 is eligible, and no one over age 50 caring for a partner, friend, or child (exception -grandchild) is eligible.
It will take us some time to vaccinate those who wish to get the vaccine and are eligible in phase 1b tier 1, soplease be patient. Healthcare workers are doing their best to vaccinate as many people as they can. Weappreciate everything they are doing to move this vaccination effort forward.
Please view the infographic on Washington’s COVID-19 Vaccine Phases to learn more about when eachgroup of people will become eligible for the vaccine. For more details on the roll out of COVID-19 vaccine,view the WA State COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritization Guidance and Interim Allocation Framework.
We have launched a tool to help individuals identify which phase they’re in and where they can go to getvaccinated. Phase Finder is an online tool that allows individuals to assess their eligibility for the COVID-19vaccine. It will be available in multiple languages and can be used to provide eligibility confirmation on site.Find the Phase Finder tool at www.findyourphaseWA.org. Currently, the tool does not contain questions forphases beyond 1a.
Please go to Phase Finder to assess your eligibility and find locations where you can go to get vaccinated. Ifyou are in phase 1a and 1b tier 1 and there are no vaccination locations available in your area, weencourage you to contact your local health jurisdiction. If you have any questions about the vaccine, pleasecheck out www.CovidVaccineWA.org.
We appreciate your efforts to take care of yourself, your family, and our community.
Thank you,
Rhiannon
COVID-19 Vaccine ProgramPrevention and Community Health DivisionWashington State Department of HealthCOVID.vaccine@doh.wa.gov360-236-3873 | www.doh.wa.gov
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Hello Representative,
I'm Tracie Ott and sent you an email yesterday.
This correspondence is aimed at figuring out how to get my son his vaccine ASAP. and
to inform about my effort & process in trying to figure this whole thing out, in hopes that in the future, peoplewith disabilities
will not fall into a over-looked crack... big hole in the system.
Previously (about a month ago), Jefferson County, Dept. of Health website stated your "organization"will provide the eligibility paperwork & do not contact primary care physician.
I actually trusted that the DSHS (my son's organization per se') or his primary care physician wouldcontact me with an Eligibility Letter for Spencer Alan Ott. Again, stated on Jeff Co Dept Health.... orgwith mail you letter & do not contact PPC.
I figured out today with help from my Union SEIU rep. how to print out my eligibility for caregivers(Independent Providers).
My son, Spencer Alan Ott, b. 1-6-84 has multiple disabilities [Not in a Union but, in WA State system]
shunt in his brain ventricles to plural cavity in lungs, diabetes,
seizures,
hypothyroidism,cerebral palsy,intellectual disabilities.
Yes! all that & yet No Agency from -- Aging and Long-Term Care Admin, DDA/DSHS/SSDI- to - even hisprimary care physician
ever mailed out, emailed, text msg, etc. An Eligibility Letter for him yet,
My Union reached out via text msg providing a website and also states on Jan 11, mailed out an EligibilityLetter from Aging & Long-Term Care Admin (DSHS).. ... to me as a caregiver (not the individual withdisabilities).
So, with help however, I have been reading the Jeff. Co. Dept. Health website----I've now figured it out for
myself before receiving the eligibility letter from WA State.
Again, Who/What Agency, etc. was responsible for mailing a letter for the individual w/disabilities?
I ended up figuring it out for my son by using Vaccine PhaseFinder then, printed out an Eligibility Statement.
However, Now-- supposedly Safeway is the only pharmacy and Now--NO vaccines available.
What happens to the individuals with disabilities who do not have anyone who feels personallydedicated his/her well-being like myself as Spencer's mother?
Why does Jefferson Healthcare vaccinate 85+ people and not my son who was part of 1A.
Previously (about a month ago), Jefferson County, Dept. of Health website stated your "organization"will provide the eligibility paperwork & do not contact primary care physician.
I actually trusted that the DSHS (my son's organization per se') or his primary care physician would contactme with
an Eligibility Letter for Spencer Alan Ott. Again, stated on Jeff Co Dept Health.... org with mail you letter & do
not contact PPC.
We receive mail from WA State/government agencies (many times in duplicate or even triplicate) and----
J efferson Healthcare mail me everything you can think of; trivial surveys, approval of notices, etc. Yet,something so very important as an Eligibility Letter via actions speak louder than words "go figure itout yourself" mode.
Hmm.... So the people with the actual disabilities do not receive high priority enabling them to receivethe vaccine from
Jefferson Healthcare.... Why?
Valid reason to be frustrated and angry that my son was once again discriminated against by even the Stateof Washington!
Tracie Ott