They will hold a meeting Tuesday to determine who goes to the top of the list.
According to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, two coronavirus vaccines will become available in the U.S. before Christmas. It is now up to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to decide who will get the inoculations first.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices will vote Tuesday on who should go to the top of the line once the vaccines are approved.
The group’s chairman, Dr. Jose Romero, said they were meeting ahead of state and other jurisdictions submitting their vaccine distribution plans to the Food and Drug Administration and Operation Warp Speed by Friday.
“We foresee imminent authorization if this vaccine is shown to be effective and safe in the near future and we want to be at the point where we are providing appropriate guidance to the states and jurisdictions for the use of these vaccines,” Dr. Romero said.
“This is not something that is being rushed,” he added. “We have already discussed the groups within the first tier. We are simply going over the data once again and having a vote primarily on the first tier group 1A – healthcare providers and the people in the long term, congregate facilities.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the group within the CDC that will be deciding on the first tier of distribution of the coronavirus vaccines.
- For first responders and front-line medical workers, including those at nursing homes, who may be among the first group offered the vaccines.
- That the FDA would thoroughly analyze the vaccines for safety and efficacy before authorizing them for distribution.
- For state medical officials and others who will be submitting vaccine plans to the FDA and Operation Warp Speed this week.
Sources: ABC News, The Independent
