Residents of long-term care facilities are particularly vulnerable, accounting for 40% of corona virus deaths in the United States.
As cases increase across the country, it is important to protect the health of physicians and nurses. According to the CDC, more than 240,000 health workers have been infected with the corona virus and nearly 900 have died.
Essential workers can be on deck
Depending on the number of people involved, the United States is still likely to have the first phase of vaccination in March. Anyone who is healthy and under the age of 65 who is not an essential or high-risk worker should not be expected to be vaccinated until later.
The CDC estimates there are 21 million health workers, 3 million long-term care residents, 87 million essential workers, 100 million adults with high-risk medical conditions and 53 million people 65 and over.
The federal government expects 40 million doses of the vaccine to be available in the United States by the end of December, if both the Pfizer / Bioendech and Modern vaccines are approved.
On Saturday, vaccination consultants for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to recommend Pfizer’s corona virus vaccine for people 16 and older. The vaccine received emergency use approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week.
The next step may be the teachers
Again, depending on whether more vaccinations are allowed, the second phase may begin by April.
Phase 2 may include kindergarten-12 class teachers and staff and other child care workers, as well as other important workers such as retail workers and transport workers. This group may include those in homeless camps and those over 65 who have not already been included in the first phase.
CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told the Senate in August that he did not think the public could be vaccinated until “late second quarter, third quarter of 2021”. It is the beginning of the second quarter of April.
What about the rest of the people?
The rest of the population will have to wait several months before rolling up their sleeves for a vaccine.
Phase 3 includes youth, children and workers in occupations necessary for the functioning of the community and the high risk of exposure not included in the first two phases. Phase 4 involves everyone else.
So healthy adults and children under the age of 65 will have to wait until spring or summer, depending on how many vaccines are approved, how quickly they can be produced and distributed, and how the debate over allocation goes.
Dr. Anthony Fossie, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN that vaccination groups will include “high priority groups” over the next four months.
“I plan when you come in April, it will be … ‘open season,’ in anyone’s sense, even non-priority groups can be vaccinated,” Fucci said.
Pharmacy chains and large box stores are also ready to dispense vaccines – including places where people usually get flu shots, grocery stores and doctor’s offices.
CNN’s Ray Sanchez, Duckin Anton, Elizabeth Cohen, Annie Grayer, Katie Hunt and Andrea Kane all contributed to the report.