Q&A: Are retail workers eligible for COVID vaccine?
Q. Can I receive my vaccine if I work retail? — R.L.
A. Good question, R.L. The answer here was not an obvious one.
Last week, the Southern Nevada Health District announced that a new category of essential workers described as “Front-line Supply Chain & Logistics” had become eligible for vaccine. This very broad category includes “End-to-End Essential Goods Supply Chain,” according to the state’s playbook for vaccine distribution.
I was tempted to include the entire definition of this subgroup, except that it is 150 words long. But here’s the section referencing retail: “Workers enabling the sale of human food (e.g. grocery stores), animal food (including pet food, animal feed, and raw materials/ingredients), and beverage products at groceries, pharmacies, and convenience stores, including staff in retail customer support and IT support necessary for online orders, pickup, and/or delivery ….”
From this description, I would not have concluded that all retail workers were prioritized for vaccine, just some, such as those working at grocery stores. However, I checked in with the health district, which tailors the state’s rules to fit the county’s needs.
Retail workers “are included in the Front-line Supply Chain & Logistics group,” district spokeswoman Jennifer Sizemore said in an email.
All workers? “We will be including all retail workers,” she replied. And she confirmed that eligibility for all began this past week.
So there’s your answer for Clark County. This interpretation may vary from county to county.
More information can be found on who is eligible in Clark County, as well as a link to the state’s playbook defining various employment categories, at https://covid.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/.
Questions about eligibility also may be sent to nonprofit Immunize Nevada at COVIDVaxHelp@immunizenevada.org. Those who wish to speak with a person about vaccine eligibility and locations may call 1-800-401-0946 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., seven days a week.
Contact Mary Hynes at mhynes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Follow @MaryHynes1 on Twitter.
