Dr. Cara Christ gives update on vaccine distribution today

PHOENIX (KYMA, KECY)- Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) Director Dr. Cara Christ will hold a virtual information session on Wednesday to give an update on COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Arizona. 

On Monday, adults 75 years of age and older were moved into a higher priority slot by the health experts' panel.

According to the Arizona Vaccine and Antiviral Prioritization, the 75-and-up group is now part of a new classification, Prioritized 1B, that also includes teachers, child care workers, and law enforcement occupations Advisory Committee’s latest allocation recommendations.

According to the ADHS website, an estimated 530,000 Arizonans are 75 and older, a demographic that faces an elevated risk of falling seriously ill or dying from the coronavirus.

The reprioritization is expected to help reduce the load on Arizona’s hospitals, which are buckling under the weight of record numbers of COVID-19 patients.