It's difficult to fathom, but untold numbers – perhaps hundreds of thousands – of unused, perfectly good COVID-19 vaccine doses have been sitting in hospital freezers, doing nothing.

When I think of all the older Americans waiting patiently to get vaccinated, there's no excuse for this kind of blunder. The uneven rollout, even with all its serious problems, is one thing, but for life-saving treatment not to be in use is mind-boggling.

From my perspective, it looks like there is definitely a lack of communication here. And since there's no fail-safe program to alert the people running the show that something is wrong, it is further humiliating that this is happening in Massachusetts, one of the world's greatest medical research states.

I'm thinking about older residents who really need the vaccine now. Thank goodness Gov. Charlie Baker did a quick about-face on giving inmates time taken off their sentence for getting a shot. Who is paid to think up these things? But I bet they bring home good pay.

It wasn't until the Boston Globe's Robert Weisman and Travis Anderson started investigating and then blowing the whistle. As of now, the doses will be redirected to vulnerable populations. So, unfortunately, unless caught red-handed, the government doesn't like parting with inside information. That's been a cancer in government for decades, and it's the little guy who ends up on the short end of the stick.

Let's hope and pray next week we see a big improvement.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

Seven Things You Need to Know Before Moving to the SouthCoast

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

More From WBSM-AM/AM 1420