It seems as if the vaccine for COVID-19 is set to begin within the coming weeks but not everybody is going to have the opportunity to take it right away. Frontline healthcare workers and others who are at higher risk, such as residents of long-term healthcare facilities, will be first in line. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has set up a plan according to the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Many of the essential workers will be next to get the vaccine, including teachers, law enforcement, firefighters, and correction officers. Adults who are 65 or older and adults with high-risk medical conditions will also fall under that group.
This may make you wonder how long you will have to wait until the vaccine is available for your needs. Although there are a lot of questions that surround that answer, Surgo Foundation and Ariadne Labs have been working with the New York Times to put together an interactive tool to give you a guesstimate.
In order to take advantage of this tool, you will have to provide some specifics, such as where you live, if you have any type of frontline or essential work, if you have health risks such as diabetes, cancer, or heart disease, and your age. These factors will help you see if you are anywhere on the horizon for getting the vaccine.
For example, a teacher in Palm Beach County Florida who is 45 years old and does not have any serious health risks is behind 135.7 million people in the United States and 9.7 million in Florida. 706,300 are ahead of them in Palm Beach County.
At the bottom of the results is a graphic that helps you see more clearly where you are in the line of people waiting for the vaccine. The line is represented by 100 people and your position will be shown in red.
This is a great way to learn where you may be in the stream of those waiting for the vaccine but it is not a 100% accurate tool. There are still many unknowns when it comes to the vaccine that could affect the end result.