Covid-19 Vaccine: What Seniors Need To Know
The distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine is extremely important to today’s seniors. Adults aged 65 and up are the most at-risk age group when it comes to the ongoing pandemic. Back in December, the CDC reported that 8 out of 10 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. had been adults aged 65 and older.
Who Gets COVID Vaccine First?
The distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine throughout the U.S. will be limited at first, due to supply. The CDC has already provided detailed recommendations to federal, state and local governments about who should be prioritized for vaccinations. Recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) were given to the CDC. The organization used this information to start formalizing the plan for vaccine distribution.
Yes, the CDC can make the recommendations, but ultimately each individual state will decide how and when to distribute the vaccine. The CDC strongly urges those interested to contact their local health department about distribution information and timelines.
CDC Recommendations For COVID-19 Vaccine
These CDC recommendations were made with the primary goals of saving lives and protecting frontline workers back in late December, 2020:
Phase 1A:
- Healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents.
Phase 1B:
- Essential frontline workers. These include police officers, fire fighters, educational workers, food and agricultural workers, etc.
- People aged 75+. People of this age are at a higher risk of hospitalization, illness and death as a result of COVID-19.
Phase 1C:
- Citizens between the ages of 65-74.
- Citizens between the ages of 16-64 with underlying medical conditions.
- Other essential workers, such as transportation workers, food service, public safety, public health workers, etc.
The CDC announced vaccine recommendations will expand as time goes on.
Read more about the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine recommendations right here.
Vaccine Distribution In The U.S.
As of January 19, 2021, more than 13 million Americans had received a vaccination, according to the CDC. Over two million of those people have already received the second dose of the vaccine, as well. A total of more than 31 million doses have been distributed in the U.S., with nearly two million vaccines administered in long-term care facilities. You can see a map of COVID vaccine information by clicking right here.
COVID Vaccine State By State
Each and every state has rolled out a specific plan of attack for COVID vaccine distribution, based on the recommendations of the CDC. All states were given an amount of vaccines in proportion to its population. California had received the most doses of the vaccine, with more than three million currently in stock, as of January 15, 2021. The only other states to receive more than one million doses were New York, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Of those seven states, only California and Texas had surpassed more than one million shots given to citizens.
Find full data for all states here, according to the NY Times.
Read more about the COVID-19 Vaccine right here.
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