U.S. companies and industry groups trying to move their workers to the front of the line for a COVID-19 vaccine remain confused about conflicting state and local guidelines on how shots will be administered and to which workers, even as millions of doses make their way across the country.
The panel listed categories including first responders, teachers, and workers in food and agriculture, manufacturing, grocery stores, public transit and at the U.S. Postal Service. The United States has two authorized COVID-19 vaccines, one from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE and another from Moderna Inc. The vaccines are rolling out as hospitals reach peak capacity and deaths have exceeded 315,000.
"We ask that you continue to provide federal leadership to state and local leaders and reinforce the need to provide early vaccine access for essential critical infrastructure workers, including rideshare drivers and delivery people," the letter read. The Consumer Brands Association representing food, beverage, personal care and household product companies including Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive Co, said it expected hybrid solutions, from partnerships with pharmacies to hiring outside healthcare service providers.
In North Carolina, which has one of the most extensive vaccine distribution plans, hospitals could submit lists of people eligible for the first vaccines to a central data system. But a spokeswoman for the state's health department did not immediately respond to whether the same system would allow companies to submit the names of non-healthcare essential workers.