December 2, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:
Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices announced their recommendations for the prioritized allocation of initial supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The National Fisheries Institute recognizes the hard work being done by these public health professionals and commends them on their decision to provide the vital vaccine initially to healthcare workers.
Further, we applaud the Committee’s recognition that those harvesting our fish and processing and distributing our seafood are essential and will be considered in the next phase of vaccine distribution.
Frontline seafood workers should rightfully be near the front of the line for vaccines. All Americans depend on these women and men to harvest and process healthy foods. As the federal agencies and state Governors develop their vaccine plans, they should protect those who labor to feed America’s families during this pandemic. Governments need to move from calling these folks heroes to protecting them with vaccines.