Greene County Public Health has received notification of the next set of priority groups to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Director Becky Wolf says while they continue to give the Moderna vaccine to the Phase 1A group of frontline healthcare workers and long-term care residents, they have received the recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Iowa Department of Public Health and the Infectious Disease Advisory Council for the 1B and 1C priority groups.

The Phase 1B group includes frontline essential workers, which includes law enforcement, fire personnel, correctional workers, food and agriculture, manufacturing, federal postal employees, grocery store and public transit employees, along with educational personnel. Individuals 75 and older are also included in Phase 1B due to their higher risk for hospitalization, illness and death from COVID-19. 

The Phase 1C group includes those 65-75 years-old, individuals 16-64 years-old with underlying health conditions and other essential workers such as transportation and logistics, food service, housing construction and finance, information technology, communications, energy, law, media and public safety. 

Wolf notes that when they get approval for these next two priority groups, plans are being made for the vaccine to be available at Medicap and Hy-Vee pharmacies, Greene County Family Medicine, McFarland Clinic, Occupational Medicine at Greene County Medical Center and public health. She stresses that these groups have not been approved to receive the vaccine yet, and the groups could change based on the information from the previously mentioned state agencies.