The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met today in an online webcast to discuss and determine who should be next to be vaccinated for COVID-19 after frontline health care workers and residents of longterm care facilities.  Those people were considered in the 1a category of who should get the vaccines, in what order.  Although two vaccines have been approved, and more are expected, there is not enough vaccine immediately to vaccinate everybody.

The panel recommended that the next group, in what it’s calling the 1b group, should be those 75 years and older, plus front-line essential workers such as in-person teachers, grocery clerks, transit workers, prison workers,  those people frequently exposed to large groups of people.  That group numbers around 49 million people.

The next group, the 1c group, should include those 65 through 74, those ages 16 to 64 with high risk medical conditions, and other essential workers.

Hawaii and all states and U.S. territories are receiving shipments of both COVID-19 vaccines approved now by the FDA and the CDC, the first made by Pfizer/BioNTech and the second one approved this weekend, made by Moderna.  Shipments are not coming as rapidly as was initially expected, but Federal officials say there should be no problem in providing the amount each state has ordered.  Hilo Medical Center and Kona Community Hospital are expecting their first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, with the plan being to innoculate any of their front line health workers who wish to get vaccinated.

For the CDC page which includes the agenda of today’s and yesterdays virtual meetings, slides from some key presentations,  plus a link to the webcast, click here.

The actual meeting webcast should be posted on You Tube soon.

Photo is Gov. David Ige with the first batch of COVID-19 vaccine at Queen’s Medical Center.