41 Other States Opted Out of the Program After Public Health Leaders Issued Warnings About Its Effectiveness
Concord, N.H. -- New reports show that Governor Sununu ignored warnings from immunization and public health leaders and instead was one of only nine governors to sign up for the Trump administration’s failed vaccine registration program, which has created turmoil and confusion as Granite Staters attempt to register for the vaccine. According to Bloomberg News, New Hampshire is one of only nine states that is using the VAMS program, 41 other states opted out entirely. Granite Staters reported numerous issues yesterday when Sununu opened the system up for people to register to get their second vaccination. Instead of being able to register, many were unable to use the system due to technical glitches while others saw their appointments canceled. The issues with VAMS were predicted back in October when immunization and public health leaders raised concerns about the Trump administration’s program, saying, "The current COVID-19 data strategy relies on multiple new and yet-to-be-tested or scaled systems to track vaccine distribution and administration—VAMS, the IZ Gateway, the emerging IZ Data Clearinghouse/Data Lake/Data Storefront, and Tiberius. Introducing new systems creates significant risk within a national public health response system already spread thin and under-resourced." “Governor Sununu trusted the Trump administration over public health experts and signed New Hampshire up for Trump’s failed vaccine registration program when almost every other state knew it would be a disaster and opted out. Instead of taking responsibility for his decision, the Governor is now throwing state officials under the bus,” said Senator Cindy Rosenwald. “It’s clear that this system is not working and now Granite Staters have to wait even longer for the COVID vaccine. Governor Sununu needs to get this situation under control immediately.”
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