Gov. Andrew Cuomo has cost lives with many of his inexplicable coronavirus decisions. Until just hours ago, he actually believed it was better to discard coronavirus vaccine doses than to vaccinate the undeserving.

Cuomo, whose executive order last week stated that “providers who give the vaccine to individuals outside of the phase protocol will face fines up to $1 million and have all state licenses revoked,” was merely the most draconian and stubborn among many who believed that providers ought to distribute the vaccine strictly according to detailed priority lists created by state governments.