The NBA issued a warning to teams on Thursday that franchises are prohibited from tracking and administering recently released team-level coronavirus vaccines ahead of public health guidelines for setting priorities, according to a note obtained by ESPN.
Informing teams that medical experts advising the NBA agree with the FDA that the new Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines are “safe and effective,” the NBA told teams that the league will work to vaccinate its players and staff “in accordance with the timing and setting of priorities set by the applicable public health guidelines, “the note said.
The NBA allows exceptions for team physicians and health-related staff and for older staff members or those with a higher risk of complications from coronavirus, the memo said.
The memo comes as a result of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who recently told reporters at a conference call that the NBA will not “jump the line” when it comes to the vaccine.
“It goes without saying that in no way will we cross the line,” Silver said in a conference call with reporters Monday. “We will wait our turn to get the vaccine. When you think about the logistical phase that federal and state governments are now undertaking, where if every citizen eventually needs two doses and a population of over 300 million people, it is less understandable when start thinking about the logistical challenges of transporting and distributing this vaccine. “
The NBA intends to work with the National Association of Basketball Players in the coming weeks and months on public education campaigns on vaccine safety, the note said.