The 901: Everyone's angry about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Shelby County

Good (if chilly) Friday morning from Memphis, which is still coated in a layer of ice. Also, more winter weather could be headed our way Sunday afternoon and Monday, per the National Weather Services' local branch. This morning, we're taking a closer look at the manifold issues with the local vaccine rollout, but first...

Quick hits: What's happening today

• The icing on the ache: Yesterday's ice storm is still top of mind for most Memphians, and especially for the 2,600 or so utility customers without power as of 10:30 a.m. today. By 4 a.m. yesterday, Memphis police had already seen 29 crashes.
• Two people who made Memphis better: The city continues to mourn the loss of Ken Taylor, a passionate young politico and former head of the Beale Street Merchants Association, and of former Commercial Appeal exec Joseph R. Williams. 
• A Capitol offense: A Memphis man accused of participating in storming the U.S. Capitol was arraigned in Washington, D.C., today, our Micaela Watts reports. He's pleading not guilty to four charges. Prosecutors also revealed some of the evidence against him, including disconcertingly violent text messages in the wake of the riot.

And now, let's take a deeper dive into this week's hot topics...

Everyone's angry about vaccine rollout

The local rollout of the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines has gone — to put it diplomatically — less than smoothly since the first dose was administered Dec. 28.

To put it less diplomatically: It's been A Nightmare on Early Maxwell street, at least for some of the people first in line to get the vaccine, including people 70 and older.

People have complained — in large volumes and at high volumes — about the Shelby County Health Department's online appointments process. And wait times. And of people from out of town getting vaccines. And of people who aren't in priority categories getting the vaccine. And let's not forget what happened Jan. 26 at the dosing site at the Pipkin Building on Early Maxwell: the department reportedly ran out of vaccine because they were giving it to people without appointments, resulting in scores of people with appointments being turned away after hours of waiting. That one ended with Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter issuing a public apology.

Before we look at the more recent complaints, it's important to note that we always knew there were going to be problems. 

The Shelby County Health Department has the massive and monumental task of distributing doses of the vaccine as quickly as it can, to as many people as it can, in a probably futile attempt to stay one step ahead of B.1.1.7, the highly transmissible European variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Complicating that job, a second, Brazilian variant of the virus — the slower-spreading, perhaps vaccine-resistant P.2 — has arrived in the county. The department is trying to do something massive, something it's never done before, and as fast as possible. It would be strange if there aren't problems.

None of that is to say the thousands of people who have had to live through this nightmare aren't justifiably angry. The Health Department clearly must do better. And we, as a community, should be pushing them and supporting them in making those improvements, with the understanding that we are, all of us, completely new to this.

With that in mind, here are a couple of the complaints that surfaced this week...

Memphis City Council calls for equal access

And then this week seven Memphis City Council members issued an open letter criticizing the health department for a glaring racial disparity in vaccinations. Even though Black people make up roughly 54% of the county's population, Black people only account for 12% of those 75 and older who have been vaccinated. Meanwhile, white people account for half of the vaccinations in that same age group.

Chances are, there are a number of reasons for that disparity, including a historically understandable — but, in this case, unfounded — mistrust of medical science. But as the City Council pointed out in its letter, access to vaccine sites may also be a factor, especially for people in Frayser and Raleigh. The letter calls on the health department to open more sites in underserved areas — which is a perfectly reasonable ask.

Thankfully, Walmart is now taking appointments to give the vaccine at three of its Sam's Clubs in the Memphis area, which could improve access. Here are the local sites:

• The Sam's at 7475 Winchester Rd., next to State Route 385, in the Hickory Hill area
• The Sam's at 2150 Covington Pike in the Raleigh area
• The Sam's at 8480 Highway 64 in Bartlett

Higher ed faculty, FedEx pilots want priority

Also angry at the local vaccine rollout are universities and colleges, which are lobbying state officials to prioritize their faculty to receive the vaccines, and FedEx pilots.

Locally, the heads of the University of Memphis, Rhodes College, Christian Brothers University, LeMoyne-Owen College and Southwest Tennessee Community College have all called for their faculty to be among those in line to receive the vaccine sooner than the rest of the public, as is recommended in federal vaccine guidelines. As our Laura Testino reported in a subscribers-only story, the state has basically replied that vaccinating grade school teachers is a higher priority — which is true, considering how important early childhood development is for future success, but fails to address the real argument college faculty are making that they should also be prioritized at some level.

Another group seeking priority status: FedEx pilots. As our Max Garland reports, the pilots' union has called for them be be prioritized for the vaccines they're delivering across the country. And they make a compelling case: healthy pilots play a crucial role in keeping the vaccine pipeline flowing. Without them, everything grinds to a halt.

Shelby County Schools want a vaccination date

Shelby County Schools has continued to resist calls for it to set a reopening date, and one of the reasons is that it still doesn't have a date for teachers to receive vaccinations.

The Shelby County Commission this week joined district superintendent Joris Ray in asking the Tennessee Department of Health to immediately approve vaccinations for grade school teachers and staff, as reported by our Daniel Connolly and Laura Testino.

Meanwhile, Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, is aiming to pass a bill that would give school board members the final authority on opening and closing schools during a state of emergency declared by the governor. That would essentially take the decision out of the hands of Superintendent Joris Ray and give it to the school board.

And, really, would that be such a bad thing?

Ray is driven by an honest, pragmatic desire to protect the health of teachers and students, as well as the wider community. That's commendable. And he has a point about wanting teachers and staff be be vaccinated before he sets a reopening date, especially with that fast-spreading European COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 on the loose. But other schools and school districts in the Greater Memphis area, across the state, and elsewhere have shown that schools can safely reopen even without vaccinations.

At the very least, that means Ray should more thoroughly explain his rationale for keeping schools closed "indefinitely."

But beyond that, the real question is who should be making these decisions: Ray, who reports to the school board — or the school board itself? Whatever we think about schools reopening, there's a strong case to be made that the elected members of the school board — as opposed to an unelected employee — should have the final say.

+ Speaking of schools: Our Laura Testino takes a closer look today at what the continued closure has meant for some parents with children in the district.

What else is happening in the 901

• For subscribers: Our Corinne Kenned looks at the evolution of the Edge District in Downtown Memphis. Also, our Jason Munz explains what we know about the COVID-19 outbreak that has sidelined the Memphis Tigers basketball team. ( Please consider subscribing to the newspaper here. Also, don't forget to subscribe to The 901 email for free daily updates on the week's big stories.)
• The Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC) is looking at changing up the way it gives incentives, our Corinne Kennedy reports. Also, our Sam Hardiman reports that the DMC will unveil its plans (previously reported by Sam) to buy the empty 100 North Main skyscraper in Tuesday's Memphis City Council meeting.
• The Shelby County Health Department closed five business this week because of COVID-19 violations, our Dima Amro reports.
• Our Sam Hardiman this week profiled John Lowe, who helped build one of the biggest soccer leagues in Memphis.
• The pandemic is restricting direct flights from Memphis to northeast cities, our Max Garland reports.
• Downtown Memphis' historic Nylon Net building at 7 Vance will be demolished to make way for a new apartments complex, our Corinne Kennedy reports.
• Memphis rapper Mizta CEO's song "Ugly Face" was featured in a Super Bowl commercial this week, our Bob Mehr reports.

The Fadeout: Yesse Yavis

Considering Valentine's Day is this Sunday, let's fade out with Memphian Yesse Yavis and Michaela Caitlin's 2020 collaboration, "I Love You (More Than I Love Myself)"...

Like The Fadeout? Check out The 901's Spotify playlist. Want to submit a recommendation of your own? Reach me by email, address below.

Ryan Poe is a columnist and storyteller who writes The 901, a weekly commentary on all things Memphis. Reach him at poe@commercialappeal.com and on Twitter @ryanpoe.