After months of deliberation and discussion, a panel of independent experts advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is set to decide on Tuesday whether Americans will recommend taking the ronavirus vaccine first, when supplies are still low.
© Stephanie Reynolds for the New York Times
If the director of the CDC, Dr. Ro. Robert R. If Redfield approves the panel’s recommendations, they will be shared with the states.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice, the panel will vote in a public meeting on Tuesday afternoon, and is expected to advise health care workers to take first place, along with residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. If the director of the CDC, Dr. Ro. Robert R. If Redfield approves the recommendations, they will be shared with states that are preparing to receive their first vaccine shipment in mid-December, using a vaccine developed by Pfizer if the Food and Drug Administration approves an application for an emergency.
States are not required to comply with the CDC’s recommendations, but will likely do so, said the chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officers, representing the state’s health agencies. Said Marcus Plessia. The committee will meet again soon to vote on which groups should be on the sidelines to achieve priority.
Here are answers to some common questions about the vaccine and its distribution.
Who will get the vaccine first?
Based on its recent discussions, the CDC Committee will almost certainly recommend that the country’s 21 million health care workers be eligible before anyone else, with 30 million mostly elderly people living in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
According to the committee, 39 percent of deaths from coronavirus have occurred in long-term care facilities. But not everyone in these groups will have a sufficient dose at first to be vaccinated; Pfizer and Moderna, the two companies closest to getting their vaccines approved, estimate that they will have more than 22.5 million Americans vaccinated by January. So each state has to decide which healthcare workers come first.
They may have been exposed to coronavirus, including complex care doctors and nurses, respiratory therapists and other hospital staff, including cleaning staff. May choose to prefer. Or they may vaccinate elderly health care workers, or those working in nursing homes who are at high risk of contracting the virus. Kentucky Gov. Andy Basheer said Monday that his state’s initial allocation will go to most residents and employees of long-term care facilities, with a small amount going to hospital workers.
It is important to remember that everyone who receives a vaccine made by Pfizer or Moderna will need a second shot – three weeks after Pfizer, four weeks of Moderna.
Who gets it now?
The CDC committee indicated last week that it would recommend being in line with the required workers. About 87 million Americans work in food and agriculture, manufacturing, law enforcement, education, transportation, reform, crisis response, and other areas. They are at increased risk of exposure to the virus because their jobs prevent them from working from home. And these workers are disproportionately black and Hispanic, a population that is particularly hard hit by the virus.
Individual states may decide to include employees in this group of industries, especially those affected by the virus. Arkansas, for example, has proposed to include workers in its large poultry industry, while Colorado wants to include workers in the ski industry who live in congregation housing.
After essential workers, the priority groups recommended by the CDC committee are adults with medical conditions that increase their risk of coronavirus infection, and people over 65 years of age. But again, some states may change the extent, choosing, for example, to vaccinate more than 75 residents before certain types of essential workers. All other adults follow. The vaccine has not yet been fully studied in children, so they may not be eligible yet.
Who will make state level decisions about priority groups?
Each state has a working group, mostly made up of public health officials, who have been planning for months and making decisions about the vaccination campaign. The top health officials and governors of each state will probably sign on to the final plans.
How long will states focus on one priority group before moving to the next line?
States don’t need to reach everyone in a priority group before moving on to other states, according to the CDC Advisory Committee. But more federal guidance on the subject is expected.
When will the first doses of vaccines be sent, and where will they go?
Federal officials have said they plan to send the first 6.4 million doses within 24 hours of being vaccinated by the FDA, and the number received by each state will be based on the formula taking into account its adult population. Pfizer will ship special coolers, each with at least 1000 doses, to locations designated by the governor of each state. Initially, almost all of those sites will probably be hospitals that have confirmed that they can store shipments at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit, as the Pfizer vaccine is needed, or can be used quickly.
When will the vaccine be available to the general public, and where will people get it?
Federal officials have repeatedly suggested that people who are not in priority groups – healthy adults under the age of 65 who do not work in health care or qualify as essential workers – should be vaccinated by May or June, as there will be enough. Supply until then. But it takes a lot to make it happen. One factor is whether vaccines other than Pfizer and Moderna are approved.
Do employers like hospitals or grocery stores need to vaccinate their employees?
The employer has a duty to force their workers to be vaccinated. Many hospital systems, for example, require annual flu shots. But employees can ask for a waiver based on medical reasons or religious beliefs. In such cases, employers provide “reasonable accommodation”; With the coronavirus vaccine, workers may be allowed to work from home instead of wearing a mask for a fee.
Three companies have announced preliminary data indicating their vaccines are effective, and there are dozens of additional candidates in clinical trials. What vaccines can I get?
This depends on many factors, including the supply in your area when you get vaccinated and whether it is found to be more effective in certain populations such as the elderly. Initially, the only choice is likely to be the Pfizer vaccine, assuming it is valid. Moderna asked the FDA on Monday for emergency approval; If approved, it will be available in most Pfizer weeks.
Does the shot have any side effects?
Some participants in both Pfizer and Moderna tests said they had symptoms including fever, muscle aches, bad headaches and fatigue, but the side effects usually did not last more than a day. Still, preliminary data suggest that, compared to most flu vaccines, coronavirus shots have a somewhat higher rate of such reactions, which are a common sign that the body’s immune response is kicking. At a CDC advisory committee meeting last week, some members said it would be important for doctors to warn their patients about possible side effects and ensure the safety of vaccines.
How do I know if it is safe?
Each company’s application to the FDA includes two months’ follow-up safety data from Phase 3 of clinical trials conducted by universities and other independent organizations. At that stage, compared to others who receive placebo, thousands of volunteers get vaccinated and wait to see if they feel infected. As of September, Pfizer’s trial had 44,000 participants; No serious safety concerns were reported.
The FDA will also review the data of each vaccine seeking authorization and share it with its advisory committee, which will meet in public on December 10 – in the case of the Pfizer vaccine – to ask questions and make recommendations to the agency. The FDA will then decide whether to approve the vaccine for immediate use.
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