'Shattering Stigma': Coronavirus Vaccines Given At Drug Rehabs

LONG ISLAND, NY — When Tracey Farrell of Rocky Point heard Gov. Andrew Cuomo's announcement Monday that coronavirus vaccinations would be coming this week to rehab facilities for those struggling with addiction, the news was deeply personal.

Farrell lost her son Kevin Norris to a heroin overdose in 2012 when he was just 26 years old. And she believes administering the vaccination to those in rehabilitation facilities will go a long way to shatter the stigma faced by those struggling with addiction.

When she first read the news, Farrell said she was disheartened by some of the comments on social media from people who said things such as, "Why waste it on them?"

Farrell, who has dedicated her life to helping others struggling with addiction, spoke out: "I’m glad they are not the forgotten population in this instance. Every person in rehab is trying to live. I pray this helps them do just that. Of course, there are concerns that it hasn’t been tested on this population, but I would hate to hear someone who achieved sobriety died of COVID," she said.

On Monday, Cuomo explained that the state has priority populations for administering the vaccinations, which expand as more doses of the vaccination are received in New York. "You just work your way down that list. This week it's going to be urgent care center employees. Individuals who are administering the COVID-19 vaccines, for obvious reasons, including the local health department staff," he said. And, he added, residents of New York State's Office of Addiction Services and Supports, or OASAS rehab centers, would also be vaccinated.

"These are congregate facilities; congregate facilities are problematic. It's where you have a lot of people in concentration . ... OASAS — what we call the 'O facilities' — they're congregate, not necessarily older, but congregate facilities."

The vaccinations come as the prevention community wages an escalating battle with overdoses, which have seen a dramatic uptick during the pandemic.

A report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier in December indicated that more than 81,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States in the 12 months ending in May 2020, the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12-month period.

While overdose deaths were already increasing in the months before the coronavirus, the numbers suggest an acceleration of overdose deaths during the pandemic, the CDC said.

“The disruption to daily life due to the COVID-19 pandemic has hit those with substance use disorder hard,” said CDC Director Robert Redfield, M.D. “As we continue the fight to end this pandemic, it’s important to not lose sight of different groups being affected in other ways. We need to take care of people suffering from unintended consequences.”

Prevention advocates said the administration of vaccines to those in rehab may not only save lives but could help to shatter preconceived notions about those struggling to find the light of sobriety.

"This move makes sense given the close quarters in most rehabs, the quick turnover in program participants, and a risk profile that may be a little different from others," said Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds, president and chief executive officer of the Family and Children's Association in Mineola. "Staff providing addiction treatment and mental health are among the unsung heroes in this pandemic, especially since rising drug overdoses and suicides are just as deadly as COVID-19."

He added that he hopes the state goes on to prioritize staff and clients in other residential, inpatient and outpatient treatment programs.

"Aside from the practical benefits to public health, prioritizing those with behavioral health conditions will also likely help address some of the stigma that persists against people with diseases that originate above the neck. It's nice to know that our folks matter."

Newscaster Drew Scott, who lost his granddaughter Hallie Rae to a heroin overdose in 2017 and went on to co-chair Southampton's Opioid Addiction Task Force, applauded Cuomo's "decision to allow drug rehab centers to receive vaccinations early. It’s a way of shattering the stigma against substance use disorder and gives dignity to people trying hard during this pandemic to get sobriety.”

Farrell said her pediatrician had always suggested waiting a year after a vaccine is released to have it administered, to allow for side effects to be documented.

But with the coronavirus, all that has changed, she said.

"If my child was in rehab right now, I damn well know that they don’t have a year. It’s one day at a time. Today, in COVID times, it’s another form of a lifeline they so desperately need. Imagine saying loved ones with a disease should get the vaccinations last. And yet, this is how people still think about substance abusers — that they shouldn’t get the vaccination at all, based on all the comments I saw online. I hate that until it happens to someone you love, only then do you understand that the stigma needs to end."

Thinking of her son, whose memory is the force behind all she does to help others, she said: "Kevin was very science minded, and I would love to know his take on all of this." Substance abusers, she said, may want the vaccine, just as so many others do. "They deserve that option."