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Hello,
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met today, December 20, to discuss and vote on recommendations for allocation of initial supplies of COVID-19 vaccine in Phases 1b and 1c. The committee had an extensive discussion about the scientific, implementation, and ethical considerations related to allocation of COVID-19 vaccine.
Recommendations
The committee members approved the following recommendations for Phases 1b and 1c: “As an update to ACIP recommendations for vaccination in Phase 1a (health care personnel and long-term care facility residents), if COVID-19 vaccine supply is limited, the following groups should be offered vaccination:
- Phase 1b: persons aged ≥75 years and frontline essential workers
- Phase 1c: persons aged 65–74 years, persons aged 16–64 years with high-risk medical conditions, and other essential workers”
Essential Workers Details
Frontline essential workers are defined as people who work in or as:
- First responders (e.g., firefighters, police)
- Education (e.g., teachers, support staff, daycare personnel)
- Food and agriculture
- Manufacturing
- Corrections
- U.S. Postal Service
- Public transit
- Grocery stores
Other essential workers include people who work in transportation and logistics, food service, shelter and housing (e.g., construction), finance, IT and communication, energy, media, legal, public safety (e.g., engineers), and water and wastewater.
For a complete list of essential workers, please see Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce.
The next ACIP meeting is scheduled for February 24-25, 2020; however, it is possible that additional meetings will be scheduled.
Don’t Forget to Take Care of Yourself, Too
We know you’re all busy taking care of business and making sure there are plans and processes in place so our families and communities are taken care of during the pandemic. During times like these it’s easy to be so focused on taking care of others that we forget to take care of ourselves. Read the 6 self-care steps for a pandemic from Harvard Medical School.
Did you know? Meditating for just 10 minutes a day can improve sleep, lower blood pressure, increase focus, and reduce stress!
Tip: Download a free meditation app, such as Headspace. Most apps have automatic reminders built in so you can stay on track. The more frequently and consistently you include meditation in your daily routine, the greater the benefits.
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