Arizona vaccination priorities include people 75 and older

PHOENIX (AP) — A state committee of public health experts decided that Arizonans 75 and older should be among those prioritized in the second phase of distribution of vaccinations against COVID-19, Gov. Doug Ducey’s office announced Tuesday.

Older Arizonans are more likely to experience severe COVID-19 complications and be hospitalized than younger individuals and the committee’s decision Monday to prioritize those people is aligned with updated recommendations from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ducey’s office said in a statement.

The prioritization of people 75 and older means those people most at risk will get vaccinated sooner, both protecting them and “relieving the strain on our hardworking health care professionals,” Ducey said in the statement.

The first phase of groups prioritized for vaccinations include front-line health care providers, emergency medical service workers and residents and staff of long-term care facilities. Vaccinations of those groups is underway.

Along with people 75 and older, groups recommendation for prioritization in the second phase include teachers, child care providers, law enforcement personnel and corrections workers.

The state anticipates that vaccinations of the second-phase groups will begin by late January but some counties may begin earlier, the statement said.