COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Since the onset of the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, ABA took immediate steps to engage with top government officials as well as industry partners to provide our Members with important, up-to-date information.

ABA has compiled information for members on the COVID-19 vaccine

The information does not constitute legal advice, as employers should carefully review information on COVID-19 vaccinations in accordance with their own policies and procedures and consult their internal or external legal counsel.

ABA Actions on COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritization

Food and Beverage Industry Alliance Letter to Governors for COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritization (December 17, 2020)

FBIA sent letters to all the state governors, state and territorial health officials, and National Governors Association requesting priority access to COVID-19 vaccines for frontline and other essential employees across the food, beverages, agriculture, consumer goods, retail, and foodservice sectors after the needs of our nation’s healthcare workers and first responders are met. The letter also offers suggestions to assist, when necessary, in sub-prioritizing among these employees, in close coordination with employers, during the early phase of vaccine allocation when vaccines are limited.

Food and Beverage Industry Alliance Submits Criteria for Sub-Prioritizing COVID-19 Vaccination Among Essential Workers (December 11, 2020)

FBIA submitted criteria to the CDC’s docket with considerations for prioritizing essential workers within the food, agriculture, consumer goods, retail, and foodservice sectors for COVID-19 vaccination during the early phase of vaccine production and distribution.

Food and Beverage Issue Alliance (FBIA) Letter to President Trump Requesting Vaccine Prioritization (November 11, 2020)

FBIA sent a letter to President Trump strongly supporting prioritizing essential workers in critical infrastructure, including those responsible for ensuring the continuity of our nation’s food supply.

Bakers, Food and Ag Groups, Request Next Highest Priority for Receiving COVID-19 Vaccine (June 24, 2020)

In a letter addressed to President Donald J. Trump, the American Bakers Association (ABA), along with more than a dozen food, agriculture, retail, and consumer packaged goods industry groups, requested food and agriculture workers receive the next highest priority for a COVID-19 vaccine, once available, behind healthcare workers, first responders, and high-risk individuals.

Certification of Essential Worker Status for COVID-19 Vaccination

On December 21, 2020 the CDC announced that its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) reviewed and voted on vaccine prioritization for the food industry. This CDC prioritization is “phase 1b”. Governors now work with their state health departments to allocate the limited supplies of COVID-19 vaccine. Many states will mirror the CDC’s recommendations, but they may also create sub-categories of workers.

Below is a sample “Essential” Employee Template for ABA Member use. It will be important for Members to cite state guidelines to demonstrate their applicability to the food and agriculture essential workers.

Food and Agriculture Essential Worker Certification (December 21, 2020)

CDC Information on COVID-19 Vaccinations

CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Home Page

CDC COVID Data Tracker

Categories of Essential Workers | COVID-19 Vaccination | CDC (added January 25, 2021)

Workplace Vaccination Program | CDC

CDC Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People (March 8, 2021)

State by State Information

CDC list of state health departments for more information on plans for COVID-19 vaccination.

National Governors Association State COVID-19 Resources

State responsibilities for COVID-19 vaccines include determining allocations to critical populations; receiving vaccine allocations from the federal government; managing the systems for ordering, distributing, and monitoring vaccines; supporting the administration of vaccines in a wide variety of health care and community settings; and engaging and communicating with communities in creative ways to address those who may face barriers to access or be hesitant to get the vaccine.

This page contains COVID-19 vaccine resources that may help inform state and territorial planning efforts, as well as a list of publicly available state and territory vaccine public health pages or plans. Please note this list is not exhaustive of statewide actions.

NGA State COVID-19 Vaccine Resources *Added 1/11/2021

ABA’s HR/Safety counsel, Littler, shared the following resource for members. Vaccine approval and administration are the next steps in the fight against COVID-19. As with nearly everything about this pandemic, guidance and action plans vary by jurisdiction and are constantly evolving. To that end, the Littler chart provides links to state agency websites, vaccine allocation plans, and other guidance related to the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as basic vaccination plan phases. The Littler chart is not all-inclusive and does not cover municipalities, some of which have issued their own guidance. Nor does the Littler chart include vaccine provider registration procedures or industry-specific guidance. The purpose is to give employers a general idea of what vaccine-related actions various jurisdictions are taking.

Statewide Vaccination Plans from Littler

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Technical Assistance Publication on Vaccinations

On December 16, 2020, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued an updated and expanded technical assistance publication addressing questions arising under the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Laws related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Section K of the document provides information to employers and employees about how a COVID-19 vaccination interacts with the legal requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA).

To view the information on vaccinations, visit section “K. Vaccinations” on EEOC’s website, “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws.”

Outside Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccines

FDA Vaccine Information

COVID-19 Vaccines Authorized for Emergency Use

For additional information on FDA’s emergency use authorization of COVID-19 vaccinations, visit FDA’s website.

Approved for Emergency Use:

More Information

ABA Webinars

ABA's On-Demand Webinar Portal contains all webinars as they become available from events, information sessions, and other ABA activities. ABA continues to offer webinars covering important updates on the public health emergency.

View ABA Webinars available on-demand

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