More than 150 million people in the United States are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, but each state has been forced to prioritize some people over many others based on additional characteristics. In this article, Formé would like to remind you what are the requirements to be met and what is the order of priority for the COVID-19 vaccine in the country.

To begin with, members of the first line of defense will be able to access the vaccine considering that during the pandemic they have been, redundantly, the first ones to be called to respond to the situation, and for this reason, they have been most exposed to the risk of being infected.

Secondly, all people 65 years of age or older will be eligible for the vaccine, as well as adults of any age who suffer from medical conditions that put them at high risk.

In this section, it is important to remember that the risk conditions for COVID-19 are:

• Cáncer
• Chronic renal insufficiency
• Pulmonary disease including COPD, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis and cystic fibrosis
• Intellectual and developmental disabilities such as Down’s syndrome
• Cardiac conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies or hypertension
• Immunosuppressed state including solid organ transplant, blood or bone marrow transplant, HIV, use of corticosteroids and other medications that weaken the immune system
• Severe obesity
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell anemia or thalassemia
• Diabetes mellitus type 1 or 2
• Cerebrovascular disease
• Neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and
• Liver disease

Finally, the COVID-19 vaccine will be available to the general adult population. So far, the vaccine has not been approved for use in children, so vaccination plans do not include children under 16 years of age.

There are currently 3 authorized vaccines for emergency use in the country: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson; so it is expected that if the 3 manufacturing companies comply with the deliveries they promise to be able to make, by April the entire adult community will be vaccinated against the virus discovered in Wuhan-China more than a year ago.

Although the vaccine may cause side effects such as fatigue, headaches and muscle aches one to three days after vaccination, they are considered completely normal and should easily disappear a couple of days later. At Formé, we encourage the community that is on the list of eligible people to exercise their right, and choose to protect themselves and their loved ones by getting the vaccine.

Remember that a person should not have to pay anything to access the vaccine, but it is possible that the government and medical centers may request insurance information. However, the lack of medical insurance is not a reason to deny vaccination or charge for its provision, since Congress passed a law that prohibits the collection of copayments or deductibles applicable to the vaccine, and additionally, prohibits pharmacies, doctors and hospitals to generate direct bills to patients.

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