[ad_1]
Three San Francisco Bay Area counties have suspended COVID-19 vaccine deliveries to One Medical offices after the private health care provider allowed ineligible people to queue for vaccines, reported Wednesday the San Francisco Chronicle.
According to the Chronicle, San Francisco, San Mateo and Alameda counties have stopped sending vaccine doses to One Medical and are seeking the return of more than 1,600 doses. NBC Bay Area later confirmed the report.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health investigated complaints that the company was donating vaccines to people who did not meet the state’s initial eligibility criteria, the report said, and the company’s response. indicated that indeed, ineligible people had been vaccinated ahead of time.
California has only vaccinated people over 65, as well as healthcare professionals and other essential workers. The first supply shortages forced some local health agencies to limit vaccinations to those over 75 or to health workers.
In a letter to executives at One Medical, the San Francisco Department of Health demanded the immediate return of 1,600 doses of the vaccine because they could not verify the eligibility of some vaccinees. The doses had been reserved for “other uses,” the letter said, which had not been authorized by the health department. The company was allowed to keep enough doses to provide a second injection for those who had already received one.
San Mateo and Alameda County officials also found gaps, the Chronicle reported, and cut their allowances as well.
NPR reported earlier Wednesday that One Medical was flouting local regulations by letting people cut the line for vaccinations in several states, including employees who did not deal with the public. Forbes reported similar claims earlier this month.
In a statement to MarketWatch, One Medical said, “Any claim that we largely and knowingly ignore eligibility guidelines is in direct contradiction to our current approach to vaccine administration.
“Recent media reports on One Medical perpetuate dangerous misconceptions about our COVID-19 vaccination protocols and, more importantly, have challenged our company values in our efforts to collaborate with health officials across the country. countries to administer COVID-19 vaccines. While this type of report is disheartening for our team members who have worked tirelessly night and weekend to deal with the complexities and challenges of vaccine deployment, we remain committed to serving our communities and hope that this report does not end. will not hinder our ability to continue doing. this vital work, ”the company said, adding that 96% of those it vaccinated had eligibility documentation, and the remaining 4%“ were vaccinated according to zero waste protocols ”.
One Medical is a membership-based health clinic with offices in 12 major markets and works with over 7,000 companies. In November, One Medical reported that it had more than 511,000 members.
Shares of the parent company of One Medical 1Life Healthcare Inc. ONEM,
fell more than 4% on Wednesday. After its IPO in January 2020, its shares have risen 126% in the past 12 months, compared to the SPX of the S&P 500,
26% gain.
[ad_2]
Source link