Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
California Tasks Blue Shield With Fixing Beleaguered Vaccine Rollout
DOWNEY, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 26: A woman sits in her car as she waits to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at drive-through public health vaccination site. ((Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
()
Blue Shield of California will soon be in charge of ramping up the state's slow distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. The partnership was announced on Wednesday.
The health insurance giant is expected to create a centralized network that will allocate doses directly to public health departments, hospitals and pharmacies, as opposed to the current decentralized approach that has led to inconsistencies in the rollout.
Dr. Shruti Gohil from UC Irvine's School of Medicine says the new approach makes sense, especially because of the complexity of the current vaccines, which both require cold storage and a highly organized rollout plan:
"Once you open a vial, you only have certain amount of time before you can distribute it to a person, so we need a sort of centralized approach. And short of having the resources and wherewithal through public health clinics, which we have not had for decades nationally, employing another agency that's able to do that, would be great."
Support for LAist comes from
Why was Blue Shield selected for this monumental task? The details aren't immediately clear, but the L.A. Times points out that the company is "a prominent player in California political campaigns" and "spent more than $1 million in support of Newsom’s campaign for governor in 2018 and almost $1.3 million on lobbying state government in the most recent legislative session."
Kaiser Permanente says it will also provide help to the state.
READ MORE ABOUT VACCINE ROLLOUT:
Why Is CA So Slow At Vaccinating Residents? One Expert Says State Needs A More Centralized Plan
A Million People In 10 Days? California Wants To Boost The COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
How To Get The Second Dose Of Vaccine -- And Everything You Need To Know About It
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist