Nearly 100,000 Iowans have had both doses of COVID-19 vaccine – KCCI Des Moines

THE SHOTS. KCCI’S KAYLA JAMES IS LIVE- AND KAYLA, YOU JUST LEARNED THIS EVENING THAT ONE CRITICAL GROUP OF WORKERS ISN’T INCLUDED IN PHASE 1- KAYLA: THAT’S RIGHT, STEVE. THE NEXT TIER MAKES FOOD, AGRICULTURE, DISTRIBUTION, AND MANUFACTURING WORKERS ELLIGIBLE. BUT TODAY WE LEARNED THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE GROCERY STORE EMPLOYEES. HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS. FIRST RESPONDERS. TEACHERS. ALL ARE PROFESSIONALS CURRENTLY ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE. THEY’RE ALSO PEOPLE MULHOLLAND GROCERY STORE OWNER TOM MULHOLLAND BELIEVES ARE DESERVING BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH THEY WORK WITH THE PUBLIC, LIKE GROCERY STORE EMPLOYEES. >> THERE AREN’T MANY MORE TH SEE MANY MORE CUSTOMERS THAT SEE PER DAY THAN WHAT WE DO. KAYLA: MULHOLLAND SAYS THE 12 EMPLOYEES AT HIS LOCAL GROCERY STORE IN MALVERN, IOWA COME IN CONTACT WITH HUNDREDS OF CUSTOMERS EACH DAY HE KNOWS OTHER GROCERY STORES ARE MUCH LARGER. WHICH IS WHY MULHOLLAND IS PERPLEXED, WONDERING WHY GROCERY STORE EMPLOYEES AREN’T LISTED ON PHASE 1B OF IOWA’S VACCINATION PLAN. >> ILLINOIS AND NEBRASKA ARE FOLLOWING THE CDC GUIDELINES THAT PUT GROCERY STORE WORKERS IN SECTION 1B. KAYLA: THIS IS THE CDC’S VACCINE RECOMMENDATION FOR PHASE 1B, WHICH DOES INCLUDE GROCERY STORE WORKERS. THERE ARE OTHER CATEGORIES ON THE LIST ALSO INCLUDED IN PHASE 1B OF THEIR PLAN. THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH TELL US GROCERY STORE EMPLOYEES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN PHASE 1B OF THEIR PLAN. THEY SENT THIS STATEMENT, NOTING THE VACCINE SUPPLY IS SHORT IN THE STATE, AND THAT DATA INDICATED EMPLOYEES WORKING IN CONGREGATE SETTINGS WERE MORE AT RISK OF GETTING THE DISEASE. MULHOLLAND BELIEVES THE IMPACT OF NOT VACCINATING GROCERY STORE EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE STATE COULD BE GRIM. >> WE COULD EXPOSE A COUPLE HUNDRED PEOPLE. ALL OF MY EMPLOYEES COULD POSSIBLY DO THAT TO SO MANY MORE PEOPLE. THAT’S WHY WE NEED TO BE SAFE. KAYLA: WHEN WE ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION, A SPOKESPERSON WITH THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH SAID AGRICULTURE, DISTRIBUTION, AND MANUFACTURING SECTORS WHERE SOCIAL DISTANCING IS INFEASIBLE CLASSIFY AS CONGREGATE SETTINGS. KAYLA JAMES, KCCI 8 NEWS IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. STEVE: THE PRESIDENT OF THE IOWA GROCERY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION SAYS SUPERMARKET STORE WORKERS ARE ESSENTIAL AND SHOULD GET THE VACCINE. MICHELLE HURD TOLD US TODAY HIS — HER ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE AND THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING GROCERY WORKERS THE VACCINE. SHE SAYS THEY UNDERSTAND THE DEMAND EXCEEDS AMOUNT OF VACCINE. AND THE INDUSTRY IS TRYING