VACCINES: No contingency planning

Re: Vaccine rollout continues…, Coeur d’Alene Press, Dec. 30, 2020, page 1.

I’m delighted that someone in an official position has finally asked of the higher cloud what the plan is for vaccine distribution. However, I’m saddened that the query waited to be made at this late date, and I’m stunned to read that concrete answers weren’t instantly forthcoming from on high.

I shouldn’t have been surprised. A month ago I asked my medical provider, Kootenai Health, if they have plans for distribution of vaccines through their clinics. Answer: We haven’t yet gotten around to that. What? Has nobody out here on the edge of civilization heard of contingency planning (CP)? Why is it that the military seems always to be ready to grab assets, and go anywhere in the world? It’s called CP!

Ditto with local fire departments and law enforcement, and, hopefully, competent state and local disaster preparedness. Is it just the nature of state government to WAIT for information and decisions to precipitate from the next cloud up? If so, why? Competent CP doesn’t require God-info. CP is an if/then activity that fishes in numerous ponds of conditions and possibilities to produce multiple actionable options. Often, parts of each CP can be adopted when the starting line nears.

The point is that CP for vaccine distribution should have started in March 2020, with one word, “suppose.” If it had, Ron Jacobson could have been given warm-fuzzy answers by Bobbi-Jo Meuleman.

JAMES STRONG

Hayden