CDC made this recommendation on December 3, 2020, and based it on recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an independent panel of medical and public health experts.
The recommendations were made with these goals in mind:
- Decrease death and serious disease as much as possible.
- Preserve functioning of society.
- Reduce the extra burden COVID-19 is having on people already facing disparities.
Healthcare personnel and residents of long-term care facilities should be offered the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines
Healthcare personnel include all paid and unpaid people who serve in healthcare settings and have potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials.
Residents of long-term care facilities are defined as adults who live in facilities that provide a variety of services, including medical and personal care, to people who are unable to live independently.
As vaccine availability increases, vaccination recommendations will expand to include more groups
The goal is for everyone to be able to easily get a COVID-19 vaccination as soon as large quantities of vaccine are available. As vaccine supply increases but remains limited, ACIP will expand the groups recommended for vaccination.