CDC Advisers Make Decision On Who Should Be Next In Line To Receive COVID-19 Vaccines
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - In the last week, more than 2.8 million doses of Pfizer's vaccine have been distributed and more than 550,000 vaccinations have been administered, according to the CDC.
On Sunday, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices made the decision of who should be next in line to get a vaccine after health care workers and nursing home residents and staff.
"The group has deliberated very carefully on this," CDC ACIP Chair Jose Romero said. "This is without a doubt the hardest vote that I have taken in my six and a half years on the committee."
Sunday afternoon, in a 13-1 vote, the ACIP approved the proposed recommendations for Phase 1b & 1c priority groups.
Phase 1b will include people:
- 75 and older
- Front line essential workers
Frontline Essential Workers include:
- First Responders (Firefighters, Police)
- Education (teachers, support staff, daycare)
- Food & Agriculture
- Manufacturing
- Corrections workers
- U.S. Postal service workers
- Public transit workers
- Grocery store workers
Phase 1c will include people:
- 65 - 75
- People ages 16-64 with high-risk medical conditions
- Other essential workers
Other Essential Workers include:
- Transportation and logistics
- Food Service
- Shelter & Housing (construction)
- Finance
- IT & Communication
- Energy
- Media
- Legal
- Public Safety (Engineers)
- Water & Wastewater
"The ultimate decision will be at the local level, but what we're providing governors, health officials with is a framework which is supported by evidence and will address this limited amount of vaccine that we have at this time," Romero said.
"Overall, I'm happy with the CDC's recommendations," Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said. "Particularly that we're getting to our over 74 population."
Jenkins said the county intends to follow the CDC's guidance.
"Within those subgroups we'll try to get it to the people that need it the most first," he said. "For instance, if you have three underlying conditions.. we want to get to you before two underlying conditions. We want to get to the two before one and one before none."
The CDC's advisory committee has released a detailed presentation with information on what played into their decision today.