News Room

It wasn’t just Covid-19 itself, but the public response to it, which sent shockwaves through our food system and exposed its fragility. Short-term shortages, in the form of bare supermarket shelves, revealed that this highly complex food supply chain is not as resilient as it ought to be. All it took was fear of a toilet paper shortage — there was never a production problem — to turn paper products into the lockdown’s scarcest commodities. While the system adjusted to the strange new dynamic after a few weeks, it only took a small shock to empty the shelves of certain foods and other essentials. What happens if greater pressure were placed on the food supply chain by someone acting intentionally? Would we be able to cope with the result?

COVID-19 vaccinations are precious, but Florida has wasted thousands of shots to date. To some, it's unfortunate but expected. Others are challenging the state to do better. As of Feb. 9, Florida Health reported at least 4,143 shots had been squandered across the state. Officials said in a statement that most were broken either in transit or during use. Other doses spoiled before injection. More than 1,000 shots were ruined in a single incident in West Palm Beach. The Health Care District of Palm Beach County said someone mistakenly turned off a refrigerator.

The U.S. celebrated when new coronavirus vaccines were developed at record-breaking speed. And in December the candidates from Pfizer and BioNTech and Moderna were quickly approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration. But two months later, only 10 percent of Americans have received at least one shot. And fewer than 3 percent of them have received both of the necessary doses. Many feel frustrated with the slow distribution process and confused about how to sign up for shots. What exactly is making all this take so long?

The US celebrated when new coronavirus vaccines were developed at record-breaking speed. And in December the candidates from Pfizer and BioNTech and Moderna were quickly approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration. But two months later, only 10 per cent of Americans have received at least one shot. And fewer than 3 per cent of them have received both of the necessary doses. Many feel frustrated with the slow distribution process and confused about how to sign up for shots. What exactly is making all this take so long?

The affluent town of Woodbridge, Conn., has less than half the population of neighboring Ansonia, and yet it’s home to more people who have received a Covid-19 vaccine. The inequity is stark: In Woodbridge, where residents have a median household income of $138,320 a year, 19.3% of the population had been vaccinated as of Feb. 4, according to Connecticut health department data. In Ansonia, where the median income is $45,563 a year, just 7.1% have received their first shot. Connecticut has the most glaring disparity in vaccination rates between its richest and poorest communities — a difference of 65% — according to a STAT analysis of local-level vaccine data in 10 states with the biggest wealth gaps.