Working with the Surge Foundation and Ariadne Labs, The New York Times created an interactive calculator to help determine the number of people who will need a vaccine in each state and county. By entering your age, county, profession, and COVID-related health risks, you can find out where you are in “line” for the vaccine. For instance, a 25-year-old adult with no COVID-related health risks who is not a heath care worker, essential worker, first responder, or teacher falls in line behind 144.1 million American people. In comparison, a 65-year-old adult who has COVID-related health risks and lives in a nursing home or long-term care facility falls in line behind 17 million Americans. With your location inputted, the tool can also estimate with more specificity where you fall in line when it comes to your county and state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted on Dec. 1 to recommend a timeline for the vaccine rollout. Staring with health care workers, the general public will most likely be the last to receive the COVID vaccine. That theoretical 25-year-old adult with no COVID-related health risks falls so far back in line because they will be the last to get the vaccine. To find out who might be in front of you in line, keep reading, and for more on the rollout, You Should Be Able to Get a COVID Vaccine by This Month, Dr. Fauci Says. Health care workers are battling COVID on the frontlines, caring for those already infected with the virus. The ACIP recommends that these workers get the first available round of the vaccine—especially since the CDC reported that there have been 263,970 cases among health care personnel and 892 deaths as of Dec. 10. And for more on the future of the pandemic, Dr. Fauci Just Gave a New Timeline for Returning to Normal Post-Vaccine. The ACIP also recommended that long-term care facility residents and workers be part of the initial rollout of the vaccine. Nursing homes and long-term care facilities have experienced a disproportionately high number of coronavirus deaths during the pandemic because they house extremely vulnerable populations. According to The New York Times, nursing homes have seen more than 106,000 coronavirus deaths as of Dec. 4. And for more on the vaccine process, If You’re This Age, You May Be Last to Get the COVID Vaccine, Fauci Says.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb The ACIP hasn’t officially voted on a second phase of the rollout yet, but essential workers were previously listed as likely candidates for this phase, as published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on Nov. 27. According to the CDC’s early recommendations, this category includes many of the professionals whose ability to “remain healthy helps protect the health of others and/or minimiz[es] disruption to society and the economy.” And for more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. A third rollout wasn’t voted on either, but it’s been theorized that adults who are most vulnerable to COVID because of high-risk conditions will come after health care workers, nursing home inhabitants, and other essential workers. According to the CDC, this includes people with diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and kidney disease, as well as immunocompromised persons. And for more on the current state of coronavirus in the U.S., These States Are Locking Down Again Amid COVID. The last group of Americans who may get the vaccine before the general public could be those over the age of 65. The CDC says this group is at high risk because of their age. And while this decision has yet to be voted on by the ACIP, some experts believe that states will potentially raise the minimum age to 75 to allow for the vaccination of other essential workers, The New York Times reported. And if you’re wondering about your risk of getting sick before you’re vaccinated, You’re Most Likely to Get COVID Right Now, White House Says.
