The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend that frontline essential workers — which includes c-store employees — be next in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
In their recommendations for the second phase, Phase 1-B of vaccination distribution, the committee prioritized frontline essential workers and adults older than 75. States and local governments will determine how the vaccine is distributed.
The vote follows the CDC’s recommendation for the first phase, Phase 1-A, which prioritized healthcare professionals and long-term care facility residents.
The ACIP also finalized its recommendations for the third phase, Phase 1-C, which will include adults over 65 years old, people between 16-64 years old with underlying health conditions, and all other essential workers.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer/BioNTech Manufacturing GmbH vaccine for COVID-19 prevention, and the first vaccinations in the U.S. occurred last week.
On Friday, the FDA authorized the Moderna vaccine for emergency use for those 18 years and older. The U.S. government plans to distribute 7.9 million doses of vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer this week.
