In addition to NPMA’s ongoing advocacy efforts and our formal request on December 11th, 2020, to the Centers for Disease Control’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), our industry has been advocating for essential pest control workers to be prioritized to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in phase 1b. On December 20th, 2020, NPMA confirmed that CDC’s ACIP recommended that Frontline Essential Workers, including workers in the pest control industry (Food & Agriculture sector), receive the vaccine in Phase 1b, which is the group immediately after health care personnel and individuals with high-risk conditions.
It is the stance of NPMA and MSPCA for federal, state, and local governments to make the vaccine voluntary. We are NOT advocating for government-mandated vaccinations. We are advocating for governments to prioritize pest control workers in their distribution of a voluntary vaccine.
Governors and states will have a large role in distributing the vaccine and further decision making as to who gets prioritized to receive it. States are not required to follow the recommendations of CDC’s ACIP, but it will likely serve as an important framework for their decision making. Therefore, MSPCA is advocating for Maryland to follow the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices that recommend frontline essential pest control workers receive the vaccine in Phase 1b.