(Reuters) – U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said vaccination phases of priority groups against COVID-19 may overlap, clarifying guidelines many states are already applying as a way to achieve shoot as many Americans as possible.
The CDC has said health workers and residents of residences should be given priority for vaccines, which should be followed by people over the age of 75 and essential workers. On Friday, the CDC changed its website to emphasize that these phases can overlap, essentially giving the green light to what many states already do.
All states have their own vaccine distribution plan, with little oversight and involvement from the federal government. This week, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said the CDC’s priority recommendations were just that and that they shouldn’t make it difficult for Americans to shoot.
Although the federal government has distributed more than 21 million doses, only about 6 million have been administered.
A CDC spokesman said the information was already available in a section of his site that outlined the priority recommendations of his external advisory panel.
Rebecca Spalding Reports; Edited by Kevin Liffey