Maricopa County Reveals Which Essential Workers Will Get Vaccine

MARICOPA COUNTY, AZ —The Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) announced in a release Wednesday that it has identified which essential workers will be prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccine.

The plan still depends on vaccine availability, but the MCDPH hinted that its supply will grow as the agency begins distributing the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week.

According to the release, the list of newly-eligible workers includes those the MCDPH has determined are likely to be at the highest risk for work-related exposure to COVID-19 because their work-related duties must be performed on-site and/or involves being within six feet of co-workers or members of the public.

Seven different industries have been identified, though only those working frontline roles in those industries are immediately eligible. The list was further refined by Arizona's statewide Vaccine and Antiviral Prioritization Advisory Committee (VAPAC) and includes:

• Food and agriculture
• Grocery store, convenience store and carnicerias
• U.S. Postal Service
• Public transit
• State and local government
• Funeral homes (if not previously covered in phase 1A)
• Manufacturing

According to KTAR.com, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) recently adopted a hybrid vaccination plan that put counties in charge of determining how to vaccinate non-age-related priority groups.

While other Arizona counties had made their allocations available to essential workers, Maricopa, the state's largest county, had not yet expanded beyond phase 1A populations, the priority segments of phase 1B or the designated age groups.

The MCDPH now has identified which industries are eligible for the vaccine, and the department is in the process of reaching out to frontline workers in those industries.

"Employers and organizations across Maricopa County are helping us connect with the essential workers in these categories," said Marcy Flanagan, executive director of MCDPH. "As they set up events, we will provide vaccine and support to make sure we reach this critical group."

The MCDPH has partnered with organizations like Valley Metro, City of Phoenix, Phoenix Union School District and Albertson's/Safeway to put on events to serve transit and postal employees, according to the release. Some restaurant groups already have contracted with providers, and the MCDPH will allocate vaccine to them directly.

"We are partnering with large companies in these categories to notify their staff of events," Flanagan said. "Meanwhile, Public Health is working with other partners to reach smaller, local grocery stores, restaurants, manufacturers and farm workers.”

The MCDPH said it continues to work alongside its partners to focus on getting vaccines to long-term care facilities and underserved populations in addition to the large points of dispensing (PODs) that opened in late 2020.

The Department of Health said about 25,000 people per day are receiving the vaccine in Maricopa County, which has a population of 4.5 million. Details about Maricopa's vaccine distributionare available on the county's website.

Read more at KTAR.com.