EPA Releases COVID-19 Vaccination Information for Water and Wastewater Workers

EPA’s Water Security Division (WSD) released an updated website with vaccination information for essential workers from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC recommends that states and local jurisdictions developed a phased approach for COVID-19 vaccinations. In defining essential workers, CDC references the Department of Homeland Security’s Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce: Ensuring Community and National Resilience in COVID-19 Response Version 4.0. This document recognizes water and wastewater workers, as well as the manufacturers and suppliers who provide vital services and materials to the water sector, as essential workers. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) Updated Interim Recommendation for Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine (December 22, 2020) recommends non-frontline essential workers, which include water utility workers, receive priority vaccination under Phase 1c.