Coronavirus

CDC Recommends Which Groups Should Get Vaccine First

The CDC committee tasked with giving guidance on vaccine use formally made its recommendation Tuesday.

CDC Recommends Which Groups Should Get Vaccine First
Ted S. Warren / AP
SMS

Health care workers and people in long-term care facilities will likely be the first to receive a vaccine in the U.S. once it gets the go-ahead.

That would be welcome news for people working in hospitals as numbers continue to climb.  

The number of people hospitalized from the virus is now approaching 100,000 in the U.S.

The CDC committee tasked with giving guidance on vaccine use formally made its recommendation Tuesday for who would be first in line.

Experts also decided how to prioritize within the first-round groups.

For example, health care workers who have direct contact with patients should be considered before say an IT worker at a hospital who can telework.

And skilled nursing facilities with more vulnerable patients should be higher on the list than assisted living facilities.