US update guidelines on access to COVID vaccines

Simon Collins, HIV i-Base

On 20 December US guidelines were updated on the plans for access to vaccines against COVID-19. [1]

The initial guidance on 1 December was that health care workers and residents in long term care receive first priority (phase 1a).

In phase 1b, COVID-19 vaccine should be offered to the approximately 49 million people aged ≥75 years and non–health care frontline essential workers, and in phase 1c, to people aged 65–74 years, persons aged 16–64 years with high-risk medical conditions, and essential workers not included in Phase 1b.

Phase 2 includes everyone aged ≥16 years not already recommended for vaccination in earlier phases.

Recommendations for children and adolescents will only be made when a COVID-19 vaccine is approved for people aged less than 16 years.

The CDC open meeting that allowed representatives to speak on the importance of access for different communities was broadcast live. These hearings are also available as webcasts. [2]

Reference

1. Dooling K et al. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ updated interim recommendation for allocation of COVID-19 vaccine — United States, December 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. ePub. DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm695152e2. (22 December 2020.
   https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm695152e2.htm
2. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) live meetings.
   https://www.youtube.com/playlist?feature=edit_ok&list=PLvrp9iOILTQb6D9e1YZWpbUvzfptNMKx2

This article was first posted on 22 December 2020.