(Photo AP)
PHOENIX – Maricopa County moves to the next phase of COVID-19 vaccinations next week, expanding access to teachers, police and the elderly.
Scheduling for Phase 1B people with priority on the Phoenix subway will open Monday through the county’s registration system, according to Maricopa County’s public health website.
The priority portion of 1B consists of K-12 school staff and childcare workers, law enforcement and protection staff and people aged 75 and over.
The rest of phase 1B, which consists of adults living in congregation conditions and certain essential workers – will follow the priority groups.
At the beginning, the next phase of photos will be administered at the distribution points of the county, which are not already fully reserved with the people from phase 1A who receive the second dose of vaccine.
The number of meetings available will be limited due to the vaccine shortage. Multiple slots and locations will be opened when more doses are available.
Phase 1A people who have not been vaccinated will still be able to register in the next phase, but will no longer have priority status.
On Wednesday morning, Maricopa County reported that it administered 62,068 doses to people in phase 1A of the distribution plan.
Two Arizona counties, Gila and Pinal, are already in phase 1B.
Yuma County has announced it will move in 1B months, while Pima County has said it is aiming for the end of next week.
Arizona vaccine distribution began on December 16th. As of Tuesday, the state administered 119,653 doses, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
With millions of people prioritized for Phases 1A, 1B and 1C, state officials said the vaccines are not expected to be available to the general public until March or April.