LETTER: State vaccine plan is a mess

With more than 70 percent of Nevada COVID deaths involving those over 65 years of age, Gov. Steve Sisolak and state officials have failed us with their vaccine distribution plan. Everyone should read the “COVID-19 Vaccination Program — Nevada’s Playbook for Statewide Operations.” This is the document the governor and his staff have approved for establishing vaccine priority. Those 65 and older with “increased risk for severe illness” are in Tier 3 just before the general population.

Let me tell you who is before them — 57,000 “essential retail workers” who are near the top of Tier 3. According to the state demographer’s website, there are only 58,985 in Nevada, so obviously this is all the retailer workers. The 6,896 workers in the Nevada System of Higher Education faculty are also a higher priority. But according to the system’s faculty workload report — the most recent online is 2018 — there are only 2,463 workers. Not only are they more important than those who are dying, where did the numbers come from?

These are only a couple of examples of a plan that fails to meet the first responsibility of government: protect people and save lives. Yes, the governor has said those 75 and older will be moved to Tier 2, but where in Tier 2? After the university faculty and the retailers?

As a former emergency manager in Nevada, I understand critical infrastructure, what it means and why. For the most part, this isn’t the intent. Look around. Retail is working. Universities are functioning. They all missed the intent, and people will die because of it.