The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends pest management professionals (PMPs) be among the next groups to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (Phase 1b of the rollout).
As the United States begins to roll out voluntary vaccinations to combat COVID-19, health care workers and long-term care facility residents are the first to receive the shots (Phase 1a of the rollout). Currently, two vaccines are authorized for use in the United States — one from Pfizer-BioNTech and another from Moderna.
States are not required to follow the recommendations of the CDC’s ACIP, but many states likely will, according to the NPMA. It drafted a letter for state pest control associations to send their governors and other officials tasked with determining the distribution of vaccines in their states.
In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, the NPMA successfully advocated for pest management professionals to be considered essential workers. On March 19, the Department of Homeland Security identified essential workers, and pest control was deemed an essential service in the food and agriculture section of its list.
On Dec. 11, the NPMA sent a formal request to the ACIP advocating for pest control workers to receive the vaccine in the group immediately after healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities.
The NPMA is calling for state and local governments to prioritize pest control workers in their distribution of a voluntary vaccine, and PMPs can help. State pest control associations may use the letter, and send it to their state’s governor and other important officials that are making decisions on vaccination distribution. The NPMA also said members of its State Policy Affairs Representatives (SPARs) program may launch grassroots campaigns for state pest control associations as a way to advocate for priority of a voluntary COVID-19 vaccine.
In the meantime, it’s important to continue to regularly wash your hands, wear your mask, practice social distancing and avoid large gatherings to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
About the Author
Diane Sofranec is the senior editor for PMP magazine. She can be reached at dsofranec@northcoastmedia.net or 216-706-3793.
I am in pest controll. I HAVE to enter retirement homes, and assisted living homes daily. If someone has bedbugs, roach or mice issues, covid or no covid we have to go. We should be vaccinated first not only for ourselves, but to stop the spreading of covid. Vaccinate pest control workers!!
This made-made pandemic had one purpose and that was to make the World Bank rich in the end game. With the sole intention of running airlines and real estate in the ground, the World Bank is going to buy up small businesses and Airlines for pennies on the dollar! We Americans allowed our own greed to follow the greedy Deep State to the same water hole. As for the virus, with a .56 % death rate from contracting, this tells me that the less healthy and elderly are the I have been more fearful of the deadly virus called the Swine flu than this one. But the idea that this WAS some Airborne virus was one hell of a video show to promote a bad movie. This is bacteria borne, and wearing a mask for more than 20 minutes makes you collect bacteria around your face so you can actually get the disease. Allowing the government and media to dictate careless practices during this political COUP takeover attempt of the US has been less than entertaining as I watched my friends acquire the disease and spend 5 days in the hospital. But as far as taking this shot? I’ll step up, but since I have suffered bloody nose bleeds since wearing these masks to every store or facility. Now I have a disability, so is the Deep State paying for that with our money of the World Banks? Just curious.
Thx NPMA for the request to put us on the vaccine list. Keep me updated