Idaho legislators push to speed up COVID-19 vaccine rollout, with a fine
Idaho lawmakers want COVID-19 vaccine distributors to administer doses more quickly, and they want teeth.
Reps. John Gannon, D-Boise, and Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, introduced a bill Thursday that would require vaccine distributors to administer 70% of doses within two weeks of receiving them. Distributors would need to inform the state if they don’t meet that quota, or else face a $5,000 fine for every day they don’t disclose it.
“It’s a stiff penalty,” Gannon said in an interview with the Statesman Thursday. “And it’s a stiff penalty because we have an emergency.”
The bill would not mandate vaccines for anyone. But Gannon and Skaug said the people who want their vaccines are frustrated over the slow rollout and canceled appointments.
Idaho consistently ranks as one of the worst states when it comes to its vaccine rollout — including the number of shots that have made it into arms. In a committee on Thursday, Skaug said that’s unacceptable.
“With all the committees we have, with all the money that we have, why are we at the bottom?” Skaug said. “There is no excuse, and I can’t get answers.”
Idaho’s COVID-19 vaccine data recently showed more than 100,000 doses sat unused. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and Idaho Statesman found that 10,000 doses were unused at CVS and Walgreens pharmacies before they were returned to the state. Meanwhile, health care providers cited a shortage of doses as the primary reason they haven’t been able to give people vaccines more quickly.
Gov. Brad Little last week signed an executive order that requires vaccine distributors to be transparent with the number of doses they have received and administered. Idaho currently gets about 24,000 doses a week.
With the bill, the Department of Health and Welfare would be responsible for enforcing the $5,000 daily fine. When the Statesman reached out with questions, DHW spokesperson Niki Forbing-Orr by email said the department doesn’t comment on pending legislation.
The measure would also require entities to reallocate the unused doses to those who can administer them more quickly. All entities would have to maintain a waiting list to ensure missed appointments don’t lead to unused doses.
Gannon said he arrived at the 70% metric based on the rates of other states. The reserve would be to ensure there are second doses, he said.
Rep. Julianne Young, R-Blackfoot, in committee Thursday said she worried the bill would make private companies more reluctant to help distribute the vaccine.
“If we hang a huge fine as a potential risk to them, it may be more difficult for them to get on board to help us with what needs to get done,” Young said.
The bill would be effective until either 40% of the Idaho population has been fully vaccinated or the COVID-19 emergency declaration is over. The bill would automatically expire by July 1, 2022, if neither of those conditions is met first.
Gannon said older members of the public who want their vaccines would be more likely to contribute to the economy if they feel safe enough to leave their homes.
“People are clamoring for vaccines. Once vaccinated, older Idahoans will feel comfortable shopping, eating at our restaurants and supporting our economy,” Gannon said. “Let’s get them out of their houses and spending.”
This story was originally published February 4, 2021 at 12:15 PM.
