States Rely on Trust as Smokers, Diabetics Step Up for Vaccine

States will largely use the honor system as they broaden the lists of people eligible to receive Covid-19 shots to include those with cancer, diabetes, or other underlying health issues—without having an easy or legally viable way to verify whether someone has those conditions.

The expanded eligibility is part of a larger U.S. effort to speed up vaccinations, but could also open the door to people gaming the system and doing whatever they can to get inoculated.

“We want our vaccinators to be concentrating on vaccination, not being police officers and getting put into dangerous or uncomfortable situations,” Sree Chaguturu, ...