The first COVID-19 vaccines could soon be on the way. Pfizer (PFE -1.46%) and Moderna (MRNA -1.96%) hope to win FDA emergency use authorizations (EUA) for their coronavirus vaccines this month. But which Americans will receive the vaccines first? In this Motley Fool Live video recorded on Dec. 3, 2020, Healthcare and Cannabis Bureau Chief Corinne Cardina and Fool.com writer Keith Speights discuss who makes this important decision and which people are likely to be at the top of the list.
Corinne Cardina: Who is going to decide which groups of people in the US receive the first doses of vaccination? Has that been worked out?
Keith Speights: That's actually a good question. I think the answer might be a little surprising to some people because if you watched the news, you've probably heard that CDC panel called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended some phases of which people get vaccines first.
But really the decision will be made by the individual states. While the CDC panel will make these recommendations and has made these recommendations, it's the individual states that ultimately decide. But I suspect that most states will go along with the recommended guidelines.
Phase 1a is what they're calling it, healthcare workers and nursing home residents and staff. Phase 1b would be essential workers. Phase 1c would be anyone over 65 and those with high-risk medical conditions.
I suspect, Corinne, that most states are going to agree that those priorities make sense and those individuals should receive the vaccine first. But there's always a chance that some state or multiple states could decide to do things differently.
