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Monday, November 1, 2021

  

PROGRESSIVES – AMERICA – THE ADMINISTRATION OF BASIC HUMAN SERVICES WITH OR WITHOUT ID
COMPILATION AND COMMENTARY
BY LUCY MANESS WARNER
NOVEMBER 1, 2021
 

THE YEAR 2020 WILL BE KNOWN FOR THE HARD FOUGHT BATTLE BETWEEN DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS OVER THE PRESIDENCY OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE RAMPAGES OF A “NOVEL” VIRUS CALLED COVID-19. IT WAS A BRAND NEW BABY DISEASE, AND A DANGEROUS ONE. FINALLY, SEVERAL VACCINES WERE TESTED, SOME HAVE CLAIMED TOO RAPIDLY, BUT THREE WERE DECLARED SAFE AND EFFECTIVE. BY 2021 SHOTS WERE GOING INTO ARMS, BUT FIRST ACCESS WAS DETERMINED BY THOSE DEEMED TO HAVE THE GREATEST NEED. 

THE VACCINE SUPPLY HAS IMPROVED TREMENDOUSLY NOW, BUT IN MARCH WHEN I WENT IN TO GET MINE IT WAS RATIONED. DUE TO MY AGE AND SOME LUNG PROBLEMS, I QUALIFIED. WHEN I CALLED A LOCAL NUMBER FOR INFORMATION I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PRESENT ID. I TOLD THEM THAT MY DRIVER’S LICENSE HAD GONE OUT OF DATE, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT ANY PICTURE ID COULD BE USED WITH PROOFS OF ADDRESS. 

WHEN I GOT TO THE SITE I WAS AT FIRST CONFRONTED RATHER SHARPLY ABOUT MY OFFICIAL ID. I PRESENTED MY TRANSIT AUTHORITY PHOTO ID & MY PROOFS OF RESIDENCE, AND TOLD HER WITH FRUSTRATION OF THE CHAIN OF REASONS WHY I DIDN’T HAVE AN UPDATED ID: THAT I HAD NEGLECTED TO RENEW IT IMMEDIATELY SINCE I NO LONGER DRIVE, AND NOW WAS HAVING TO REAPPLY; THAT AS A RESULT I HAD TO PROVIDE TWO MARRIAGE LICENSES. FOR THOSE, APPLICATIONS HAD TO BE MADE TO THE COUNTIES WHERE THE MARRIAGES WERE PERFORMED. IN MY HOME STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, THEY WERE REQUIRING MY PICTURE ID TO ISSUE THE BIRTH AND MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES. MY HOSPITAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE IS NOT ENOUGH ANYMORE. IT HAS TO BE OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED. WITH A HANGUP HERE AND A HANGUP THERE, IT WAS TAKING WEEKS. WHEN I FINISHED, THE YOUNG WOMAN HAD A SHEEPISH GRIN ON HER FACE AND GAVE ME MY SHOT. 

IF I WERE APPLYING TO WORK IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT I WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED BY ANY OF THAT, BUT TO GO THROUGH THIS TO RECEIVE A VITAL MEDICATION IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC SEEMS CONTRARY TO PUBLIC HEALTH WISDOM. IN THAT SITUATION IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT SHOULD BE GOOD ENOUGH TO SHOW THAT I HAVE LIVED UNDER THE SAME NAME, HAVE PERFORMED WORK AND PAID TAXES, AND HAVE LIVED AT THE SAME APARTMENT FOR OVER TEN YEARS. I HAD TO PROVE CONCLUSIVELY WHO I WAS TO GET A LIFE SAVING VACCINATION. 

DOES THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT TO TAKE OFFICE? APPARENTLY PRESIDENT OBAMA HAD TO PROVE THAT HE WAS NOT ACTUALLY BORN IN KENYA, BUT I THINK THAT HAD TO DO WITH HIS BEING A BLACK MAN (KENYA, GET IT?). I CAN’T HELP WONDERING HOW MANY HISPANIC PEOPLE ARE BEING INTIMIDATED TO THIS DAY ABOUT RECEIVING THE VACCINE FOR FEAR OF BEING HUNTED DOWN BY HOMELAND SECURITY. 

I SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING OFFICIAL ID FOR SUCH A SITUATION. I THINK IT WOULD WORK FINE. 

 

REAL ID
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
 
STATUS: Child of God
 
KNOWN AS: Slim Pete
 
RESIDENCE: none
 
CONTACT METHOD: none
 
INSURANCE COVERAGE: none
 
DATE OF ISSUANCE: November 1, 2021 

This card guarantees the holder permission to receive any and all essential human services in a time of need, whether such condition may be temporary or long-term. The phrase “the undeserving poor” shall never be used or implied. No ethnicity, citizenship status, nor racial or religious standards shall be applied to delimit basic human considerations. 

 

THIS ARTICLE FROM REUTERS DISCUSSES THE SAME ISSUES, AND PROPERLY HIGHLIGHTS TWO COMMERCIAL OUTLETS WHO HAVE SIMPLIFIED THEIR PROCEDURES FOR GIVING OUT THE VACCINE. I STRONGLY APPROVE THEIR ACTIONS, AND AM SURE THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE DONE THE SAME SINCE JANUARY. 

IT IS FAIR TO POINT OUT THAT, ACCORDING TO THIS ARTICLE, THE RESTRICTIONS ARE NOT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RULES, BUT THOSE COMING FROM THE STATES. STATES RIGHTS IS AT THE CENTER OF RESTRICTIVE VOTER VALIDATION AND ELECTION PROCESSES AND A NUMBER OF OTHER ISSUES AS WELL, AND EVEN IF THERE IS NO INTENTION TO DO HARM TO THE CITIZENS THERE IS DAMAGE DONE BY HAVING SUCH A CONFUSED AND CONTRADICTORY LEGAL MESS ACROSS THE NATION. AN ISSUE OF VOTING RIGHTS AND HOW ELECTIONS ARE CONDUCTED, MUCH LESS HUMAN RIGHTS SUCH AS MEDICAL CARE, SHOULD BE FEDERAL RATHER THAN STATE OR LOCAL. IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO PRODUCE ANYTHING APPROACHING FAIR TREATMENT.  

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-vaccine-retail/some-big-u-s-pharmacies-will-not-check-id-before-administering-covid-19-vaccines-idUSKBN29K15N  
HEALTHCARE & PHARMA
JANUARY 15, 2021 6:05 AM, UPDATED 10 MONTHS AGO
Some big U.S. pharmacies will not check ID before administering COVID-19 vaccines
By Richa Naidu, Tina Bellon, Aishwarya Venugopal 

CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Many U.S. pharmacies, including those inside Kroger Co supermarkets and the drugstore chain of CVS Health Corp, say they will not be checking IDs before administering COVID-19 vaccines, leaving the door open to those who do not meet states’ guidelines to jump the line. 

FILE PHOTO: Healthcare workers prepare Pfizer coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccinations in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 7, 2021. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson 

While the United States has distributed more than 30 million vaccine doses, a little over 11 million had been administered as of Thursday, a lag that prompted U.S. health secretary Alex Azar to call on states to begin vaccinating the vulnerable older population and those with certain chronic health conditions to get more vaccines into arms. 

U.S. retailers face a choice of strictly enforcing state eligibility rules with on-site identity checks, or rely on an honor system that could allow people to ignore those guidelines but also get more people inoculated. 

“State and local guidelines vary across the 40 public health jurisdictions we serve, but in most cases, identification will not be required to receive the vaccine,” a Kroger spokeswoman said. The biggest U.S. grocery chain has so far administered about 7,800 COVID-19 vaccines to healthcare workers and nursing home staff and residents.

Twenty-two states have moved toward using age as the main criteria for prioritizing inoculations, with four more set to follow next week. Others are adhering to strict guidelines meant to assure that scarce coronavirus vaccine supplies went first to healthcare workers, nursing home residents and first responders. 

Teachers and other “essential workers” are supposed to be among those next in line as distribution widens, but who qualifies as an essential worker varies by state. 

“We are not planning to ask for ID to receive a COVID-19 vaccination,” a CVS Health spokesman said. “These vaccinations will be appointment-only in our stores and patients will have already gone through an eligibility screening when they register for an appointment on our website, through our app or via a 1-800 number.” 

However, the accuracy of information provided in eligibility screenings conducted by some companies is not automatically checked at the vaccination sites. 

Walgreens Boots Alliance said it would follow state and local guidance on how to verify eligibility. 

Hy-Vee, which operates grocery stores and pharmacies in Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Wisconsin and other Midwestern states, said it has included its own warning on its website that ID may - or may not - be asked for prior to the shot being given. “So far, we have had no problems,” a spokeswoman said. 

Stop & Shop Supermarket, located in the northeastern United States, said it would check IDs or pay stubs if instructed to do so by individual states. Publix Super Markets, which operates in Florida and other southeastern states, said people would need to provide “proof of insurance and/or their driver’s license or social security card.” 

PHOTOGRAPHS – KROGER AND CVS STORES -- Slideshow ( 2 images ) 

“GET THEM INTO THE ARMS” 

In Washington D.C., which relies on pharmacy chains Safeway and Giant Food to administer vaccines, it is unclear who verifies people’s healthcare worker status. 

A district website allowing healthcare workers to register for a vaccine tells them they will be verified via their work ID badge or an employer letter during the pharmacy appointment. 

But Giant Food in a statement said it was just checking the photo ID and insurance card of anyone who secured an appointment through the district’s website. 

A spokeswoman for the DC health department said the vaccination team would raise the issue with Giant Food. Safeway parent Albertsons Companies Inc did not respond to requests for comment. 

Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University’s medical school, attributed the lack of planning and diverging local guidance to chronic underfunding of the U.S. healthcare system, with the ongoing pandemic straining resources further. 

Schaffner said the solution was to increase vaccine availability and hire more vaccinators. 

“The more vaccines you have, the less you have to worry about prioritization,” Schaffner said. “We know it’s not going to be perfect, but who cares, we need to get them into the arms.” 

Reporting By Richa Naidu in Chicago, Tina Bellon in New York and Aishwarya Venugopal in Bangalore; Editing by Joe White, Ed Tobin and Bill Berkrot 

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
 
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