States began administering COVID vaccines Dec. 14 in a complex logistical effort. FedEx and UPS will transport the vaccine throughout most of the country, and each delivery will be followed by shipments of dry ice a day later.
For all the planning, there is still a good deal of confusion. States are receiving initial allocations according to a federal formula based strictly on their adult population, but many hospitals say they don't know exactly how much they will get or when the shipments will arrive.
Phase 1 of vaccine distribution will be for front-line health workers and the elderly. Vaccination of essential workers — including front-line travel center employees — will occur in Phase 2.
NATSO, along with industry trade groups representing fuel retailers, urged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure that federal priorities are followed throughout the vaccine distribution chain and prioritize employees of essential businesses after health care workers when the COVID-19 vaccine became available.
[NATSO Urges HHS to Prioritize Essential Businesses in COVID Distribution Strategy]
In a letter to Secretary Alex M. Azar II, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, NATSO said that essential workers of businesses that are part of the critical infrastructure workforce should receive a vaccine as part of Phase 1-B of a jurisdiction’s distribution scheme. Phase 1-B would follow behind only those healthcare personnel who are grouped into Phase 1-A.
In a letter to Secretary Alex M. Azar II, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, NATSO said that essential workers of businesses that are part of the critical infrastructure workforce should receive a vaccine as part of Phase 1-B of a jurisdiction’s distribution scheme. Phase 1-B would follow behind only those healthcare personnel who are grouped into Phase 1-A.
Every state will need to triage within the relatively "essential workforce" category. (It's important to note that the "essential worker" designation was developed with an eye toward determining which workers are permitted to go to work during stay-at-home orders; it was not designed with vaccination prioritization in mind.)
NATSO members are advised to contact their governor's office to underscore the importance of the industry's front-line workers. Truckstop workers and commercial truck drivers are included on the list of “essential critical infrastructure workers” by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in its “Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce.”
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