LOS ANGELES, Feb 12 (Reuters) – Around 800 workers in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on Friday will take part in the first wave of COVID-19 vaccinations for employees of the busiest port complex in the United States, which has been hit hard by labor disruptions related to the pandemic and growing imports.
Members of Congress last month joined state and local leaders in urging California officials to speed up COVID-19 vaccination for port employees amid high-stakes battles that should be prioritized workers as essential.
Sometimes these decisions are made locally, which has led to a mosaic of eligibility rules for vaccination at a time when demand for COVID-19 vaccines far exceeds supply.
The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services organized the clinic, which allocated 800 doses of the Modern Vaccine Inc. to port workers. The event comes as mass inoculation sites in other parts of Los Angeles County, including Dodger Stadium, are temporarily closed due to a lack of vaccine supply.
Meanwhile, some states are beginning to expand vaccines beyond first aid, health workers and the elderly to supermarket employees, line cooks, bus drivers and teachers.
In New York State, workers in grocery stores and restaurants are allowed to receive the shots. And in Illinois, some car factory workers have started getting vaccines. (Report by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; edited by Jonathan Oatis)