Stanford launches revamped vaccine distribution plan after facing harsh criticism

PALO ALTO, Calif. - Thousands of Stanford healthcare workers could receive COVID-19 vaccinations by the end of the year. This, as Dept. of Medicine officials revamp their vaccination distribution schedule.

This 2.0 rollout of vaccinations comes after harsh criticism of the initial effort. Some frontline workers complained they were left out, and left vulnerable to the virus. Thursday, the chief of Stanford Medicine apologized.

"There’s no question that it was a bad mistake. A bad series of mistakes. An oversight. And there were rightly hard feelings," said Dr. Robert Harrington, chairman of the Stanford University Dept. of Medicine.

Raw emotions bubbled to the surface on the Stanford campus December 18. The university’s initial rollout of COVID vaccines left most doctor residents of the list. These frontline workers, students who’ve completed medical school and are in post-graduate training, were only slated to get seven of the first 5,000 doses.

"People who are putting themselves at risk, by taking care of patients. By being in the hospital, that they really are prioritized," resident Jessica Buesing said at the time. Added fellow resident Charles Marcus, "The people at highest risk should get the vaccine first so they can be, so they don’t expose other people."

Admitting a mea culpa, Stanford Medicine launches a new distribution plan. Leaders promise better governance, more transparency in decision making, and better communication with the entire community.

A three-wave approach will see all 30,000 Stanford healthcare workers vaccinated over the next three weeks. Wave 1 is the nine thousand frontline workers who have already been vaccinated. Wave 2 is support staff, and Wave 3 is anyone else needing vaccination.

"We should be able offer everybody who wants vaccination at Stanford medicine by late January, early February," said Dr. Harrington. "We have the capacity to do that. We just need the vaccine supply chain to hold up."

Dr. Harrington said Stanford will receive the Moderna COVID-19 drug the week of Christmas. The Santa Clara County Department of Public Health declined to say when the drug will be shipped to various hospitals in the county. But officials at Stanford say using both the Moderna and Pfizer drugs will allow them to safely vaccinate 1,500 workers per day.

"It’s been a long, long, dark tunnel. But I think those of us who work in health care think there’s a light at the end of the tunnel," said Dr. Harrington.

Stanford University officials said they’ll begin work to vaccinate the larger county community next year. Essential workers in February, and all others as early as March or April.

Even so, officials say people should continue to mask up, wash or sanitize hands, and practice social distancing.