OKEECHOBEE — On De. 1, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) made recommendations on who should be offered COVID-19 vaccination in the initial phase of the U.S. COVID-19 vaccination program while there is limited vaccine supply.

Since the pandemic began, ACIP has been holding special meetings to review U.S. data on COVID-19 and the vaccines in development to help prevent it. Before making recommendations, ACIP plans to review all available clinical trial information, including descriptions of:
• Who is receiving each candidate vaccine (age, race, ethnicity, underlying medical conditions);
• How different groups respond to the vaccine;
• Side effects experienced.

In anticipation of Okeechobee County receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, today, Dec. 15, local officials conducted a vaccine planning workshop.

Officials included:

• Chairman, Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners;
• Mayor and City Administrator City of Okeechobee;
• Okeechobee County Fire Rescue;
• Okeechobee County Emergency Management;
• Okeechobee County Health Department;
• Okeechobee County Sheriff ; and,
• City of Okeechobee Police Department

“We are still very early in this process since the vaccine supply is limited and no delivery date for Okeechobee County has yet to be set,” said Emergency Management Director Mitch Smeykal.

“As soon as more vaccine is widely available, we will be communicating with the public on how the vaccine will be distributed,” said Smeykal. “We have done this before with the H1N1 Flu vaccine in 2009 and 2010 and have been planning for this for some time so all we’re waiting for is the vaccine to start distribution”.

Florida COVID-19 vaccine priorities are.
1. Residents of long-term care facilities;
2. Healthcare workers in high-risk and high-contact environments;
3. Those 65 and over, along with those with significant co-morbidities.