Arisonan over 75 has moved to a higher priority slot for COVID vaccines

Phoenix — A committee of health experts recommending COVID-19 vaccination priorities in Arizona moved adults over the age of 75 to higher slots on Monday.

According to the latest assignments of the Arizona Vaccine and Antiviral Prioritization Advisory Board, groups aged 75 and over are now part of a new classification, Priority 1B, for teachers, childcare workers, and law enforcement professions. Is also included. Recommendations..

An estimated 530,000 Arizonas are over 75 years old and are at high risk of serious illness or death from the coronavirus. Reprioritization is expected to help reduce the burden on Arizona hospitals that are buckling with a record number of COVID-19 patient weights.

“When looking at prioritization, what we are trying to do is to get a vaccine that protects people from potentially dying, with the most serious consequences such as hospitalization and death, early on. Make sure you prioritize. Dr. Cara Christ, Director of Health, Arizona, said: KTAR News 92.3FM on Tuesday.

Prioritized 1B lags behind only 1A in state planning and currently has four layers of high-priority population. This change is part of Phase 1A and does not affect residents of nursing homes who have already started vaccination.

Christ said the process for informing new categories of people that they were eligible varies from county to county and is still under consideration.

“We’ll announce the details of how to register as soon as we know it, but we’re looking at different mechanisms,” she says.

“We are working with the county to identify if there is a mass vaccination site, if you can go to a pharmacy, if there is a mobile vaccination clinic that can go to people’s homes. . “

Priority 1B vaccination is expected to begin in mid-to-late January, but may begin early in some counties, Christ said.

Christ said he expects the final priority phase to be completed by February or March and the general population of Phase 2 to begin in March or April.

by Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAdults over the age of 75 infected with COVID-19 are eight times more likely to be hospitalized and 220 times more likely to die than adults aged 18-29.

In previous versions plansWas updated on December 14, and approximately 1.2 million adults aged 65 and over in the state were prioritized in Phase 1C, the third of three priority groups. There were no separate categories for people over the age of 75.

The Vaccine and Antiviral Prioritization Advisory Board meets regularly to make recommendations on how to fairly distribute the COVID-19 vaccine in Arizona during limited supply.

The committee is made up of state, local, and tribal experts, including representatives of the Arizona Department of Health.

Local health or tribal authorities can revise the recommendations to suit their needs.

Christ said the update on Monday was in line with a new recommendation from the CDC Advisory Board on the implementation of vaccinations.

Vaccine distribution began two weeks ago in Phase 1A people in Arizona. This includes front-line medical staff, emergency health care workers, and long-term care facility residents and staff.

Christ said he had been given nearly 40,000 shots in Arizona so far.

Federal authorities have approved an emergency use authorization for two vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. The effective rate is over 90%. Both require two shots every few weeks to get the full effect.

Moderna vaccines can be stored in a regular freezer, making them easy to distribute to multiple sites.

Pfizer vaccines currently inoculated at five locations in Phoenix Metro must be kept at extremely low temperatures in a specially designed freezer.

Ali Vetnar of KTAR News 92.3FM contributed to this report.

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