San Francisco’s One Medical, a health care provider, is under investigation after reports of personnel vaccinating people not included in the priority list ahead of those at high risk of infection with the COVID-19 virus.
Reports alleged that One Medical disregarded vaccine eligibility requirements in multiple cities across California, including at least three counties in the Bay Area. The company is accused of prioritizing friends and family members of executives for vaccinations.
Bypassing Vaccine Eligibility
Last week, Alameda, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties stopped their distribution of COVID-19 vaccine doses to One Medical. San Francisco city health officials ordered the company to return 1,600 vaccine doses delivered to them.
A health department spokesperson said Marin County is waiting for a more thorough review of patient data before continuing the distribution of vaccine doses to One Medical.
However, One Medical said the allegations were baseless and argued it has “followed the state and local guidelines” for vaccine eligibility. The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Committee chairman, Representative James Clyburn, criticized the concierge service for its apparent disregard of laws.
“Despite being warned that the company’s lax oversight of vaccine eligibility rules was allowing ineligible patients to jump the line, One Medical has reportedly failed to promptly implement an effective protocol to verify eligibility and instructed staff not to police eligibility. As a result of these irresponsible practices, numerous authorities have now halted distributions of vaccine doses to the company,” said Clyburn.
Clyburn ordered One Medical to follow state protocols regarding vaccine eligibility and to turn over documents and records of its vaccination practices, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The subcommittee also requested the concierge service to list all of its facilities administering vaccines, the total number of vaccines administered by each facility, demographic breakdowns of those receiving vaccinations, and documents related to the company’s procedures for complying with state and local eligibility guidelines.
“We support the objectives of this Congressional group, with whom we share a goal of executing a fair and equitable national vaccine roll-out,” a One Medical spokesperson said.