See: US advisors meet to discuss the implementation of COVID-19 vaccination

New York (AP) — An influential government advisory board was convened on Tuesday to answer one of the most pressing questions about the US coronavirus outbreak. Who should be at the forefront when the first vaccination becomes available?

Watch the meeting on the video player above.

The Immunization Implementation Advisory Board was to vote on proposals to prioritize healthcare professionals and nursing home patients.

The two groups include about 23 million Americans out of a population of about 330 million in the United States.

When the virtual meeting began, Dr. Bethbel, a panel member at the University of Washington, said that an average of one person per minute is now dying from COVID-19 in the United States. “

Later this month, the Food and Drug Administration will consider permitting emergency use of two vaccines manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna. Current estimates are that by the end of 2020, the dose of each vaccine will be less than 20 million doses. In addition, each product requires two doses.

As a result, shots are distributed early.

The advisory board will meet again at some point to decide who should line up next. Potential includes teachers, police, firefighters, and workers in other important areas such as food production and transportation. Elderly people; and people with underlying medical conditions.

Experts say the vaccine will probably not be widely available in the United States until spring.

Founded in 1964, a 15-member committee of external scientific experts makes recommendations to the directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which are mostly approved.

The recommendations are not binding, but have been widely watched by doctors for decades, and they have determined the scope and funding of US vaccination programs.

It is up to the state authorities to follow the guidance. It is also up to them to make more detailed decisions as needed. For example, whether to prioritize emergency room doctors and nurses over other healthcare professionals when vaccine supplies are low.

The outbreak in the United States has killed nearly 270,000 people, confirmed more than 13.5 million infections, and has seen a surge in deaths, hospitalizations, and cases in recent weeks.

About 2 million people live in nursing homes and other US long-term care facilities. According to CDC officials, these patients and their caregivers account for 6% of US coronavirus cases and 39% of deaths.

The number of healthcare professionals covered by the Panel’s recommendations will be approximately 21 million.

This is a broad category that includes medical staff who care for or contact patients in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, clinics. It also includes home health care workers and emergency health care workers. Depending on how state authorities apply the panel’s recommendations, it may also include janitor staff, food service employees, and medical record clerk.

Read more: US panel considering who should get the first COVID-19 shot

The government estimates that medical workers account for 12% of COVID-19 cases in the United States, but only about 0.5% of deaths. Experts say it is imperative to get health care workers up and running so that they can manage shots and the number of infected Americans tends to skyrocket.

For months, members of the vaccination committee have said they will not vote until the FDA approves the vaccine. This is the normal procedure for the panel, with some exceptions, such as during the 2009 influenza outbreak. But at the end of last week, the group suddenly scheduled an emergency meeting on Tuesday.

The panel’s chair, Dr. Jose Romero, said the decision stemmed from the recognition that the state was facing a Friday deadline to place its first order for Pfizer vaccine and decide where to deliver it. He said the committee has now decided to meet to give guidance to state and local authorities.

However, some panel members and other experts were also concerned about comments from Trump administration officials suggesting different vaccine priorities.

Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House Coronavirus Task Force said in a meeting with CDC officials last month that people over the age of 65 should be at the top of the line, according to federal officials who are not authorized to discuss the issue. Said that. Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Then last week, US Secretary of Health and Welfare Alex Azar emphasized that the governor would eventually decide who would be shot in their state. Vice President Mike Pence reiterated that view.

Comments have aroused long-standing concerns among the Trump administration that vaccination decisions are determined by political concerns rather than science.

Romero was asked if Hazard’s comments influenced the schedule of the meeting. “We don’t live in a bubble. We know what he said, but that wasn’t the main reason this was happening.”

Jason Schwartz, a professor of health policy at the Graduate School of Public Health, said it made sense for the panel to take the unusual step of making recommendations first.

“Without that formal recommendation, it creates a blank space where the state could go in different directions of all kinds,” Schwartz said, not on the panel.

HHS officials say they will distribute initial doses to states based on population, and some states may not receive enough to cover all health care workers and nursing home residents. there is.

As a result, the governor may have to decide which health care worker or region will fire first, Schwartz said.

“It’s up to the state to understand the more details,” he said.