By GRANT SCHULTE-Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska health officials will keep their focus on vaccinating older residents during the next phase of the state's coronavirus response, which could begin in some regions by the end of the month, Gov. Pete Ricketts said Wednesday.
Ricketts said the state has directed local health districts to give 90% of their available doses to residents between the ages of 50 and 64 during the upcoming vaccination phase. The remaining 10% will be set aside for people of all ages with existing health conditions. He said doctors working with local public health directors will determine who qualifies.
"Those people are the next high category of being at risk," Ricketts said at a coronavirus news conference.
Nebraska public health officials are now focused on vaccinating residents who are at least 65 years old, a demographic that accounts for the large majority of the state's coronavirus deaths. Of the 2,091 people who have died in Nebraska so far, 1738 were at least 65 years old. An additional 229 were between the ages of 55 and 64.
Ricketts has defended the decision to focus on age despite pressure from some younger residents who worry that their health conditions put them at greater risk if they catch the virus.
The state's initial vaccination phase concentrated on getting health care workers vaccinated to prevent staffing shortages at Nebraska hospitals and long-term care facilities. As of Tuesday, health providers had provided full vaccinations to 10.3% of Nebraska residents who are at least 16 years old.
Nebraska's vaccination phases are tracked by public health region, with rural sections generally finishing ahead of the more populated Omaha and Lincoln areas.
Angie Ling, the coronavirus incident commander for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, said the state expects to get an additional 58,000 initial vaccine doses this week.
The shots arriving include vaccines from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna, plus a shipment of the new, one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Ling said Johnson & Johnson won't be able to deliver additional doses for another few weeks.
For the next vaccination phase, Ling said the state won't play any role in determining which health conditions are eligible.
"The medical community will identify the appropriate patients and work with the (local) health departments to get them scheduled," she said.
State officials reported 150 patients hospitalized in Nebraska because of the virus as of Tuesday evening. The number has declined sharply since record highs in mid-November, when nearly 1,000 people were hospitalized.