At risk elderly adults and frontline workers are next in line to receive COVID-19 vaccines

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has voted 13-1 to prioritize adults ages 75 and older and frontline essential workers to receive Covid-19 vaccines in phase 1b of allocation.

The committee vote also included prioritizing adults ages 65 to 75, people ages 16 to 64 who have high-risk medical conditions, and other essential workers in Phase 1c of allocation.

"They really serve to address the current lack of vaccine supply and address those individuals with the highest risk for disease," Dr. José Romero, the ACIP chair and secretary of the Arkansas Department of Health, said about the new recommendations.

The committee met on Sunday to discuss phases 1b and 1c of vaccine distribution. In a previous meeting earlier this month, the group voted on phase 1a, which advised giving the first round of vaccines to health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities.

Here is who will be vaccinated in each phase:

Phase 1a

• Health care personnel
• Long-term care facility residents

Phase 1b

• Frontline essential workers, which include:
  • First responders (Firefighters, Police)
  • Education (teachers, support staff, daycare)
  • Food and Agriculture
  • Manufacturing
  • Corrections workers
  • U.S Postal service workers
  • Public Transit workers
  • Grocery store workers
• Persons aged 75 years or older

Phase 1c

• Persons aged 65-74
• Persons aged 16-64 with high risk conditions
• Essential workers not recommended in phase 1b

Phase 2

• All people aged 16 years or older not included in Phase 1, who are recommended for vaccination

In Monterey County, Law Enforcement and Agriculture workers said this came as good news.

Chief Deputy John Thornburg with the Monterey County Sheriffs Department said having the vaccines would act as another line of defense.

“I think it will make a little peace of mind, if you will, when dealing with, because on a day to day basis we deal with a lot of people we’ve never met before, we know nothing about them," says Thornburg.

Thornburg says he is not sure yet if the vaccine will be a requirement.

“Most people want to know, are you going to go get it, are you going to receive it? I think it’s very much an individual decision."

This also came as good news to farmworkers who say there were great concerns surrounding their health during the pandemic.

“I’m glad to hear that the news does include farm workers because of the service they provide to the nation," says Robert Perez with the United Farm Workers.

Medical experts are also calling for more government funding to distribute more vaccines to the entire population as soon as possible.