Gov. Doug Ducey has moved residents 75 and older up the vaccine priority list, one week after a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel made the recommendation.
People 75 and older were previously lumped into the 65-plus category, which is the third tier on the priority list. Now, in Arizona, those 75 and older are in tier two, alongside essential workers. Tier one has health care workers and long-term care facility residents.
Ducey says the move is justified. The CDC says those 75 and older have the highest COVID-related death rate among any age group. Also, despite being 8% of the population, they account for 25% of the hospitalizations.
Ann Wheat is executive director of the nonprofit Duet Partners in Health and Aging. She joined The Show to talk about the decision.
