(Reuters) – The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention has said that the vaccination phases of priority groups against COVID-19 may overlap, clarifying the guidance that many states are already applying as a way to inject as much of Americans as possible.
The CDC said health workers and nursing home residents should have priority for vaccines, to be followed by people over 75 and essential workers. On Friday, the CDC changed its website to emphasize that these phases can overlap, essentially giving the green light to what many states are already doing.
Each state has its own vaccine distribution plan, with little supervision and involvement by the federal government. This week, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said that the CDC’s priority recommendations were just that, and should not hinder Americans’ vaccines.
Although the federal government has distributed more than 21 million doses, only about 6 million have been administered.
A CDC spokesman said the information was previously available on a section of his website that outlined priority recommendations from his external advisory panel.
Reporting by Rebecca Spalding; Kevin Liffey Edition