Maricopa County officials said they will begin Phase 1B vaccinations and open up scheduling for these prioritized individuals starting next week.
According to the Maricopa County Public Health website, vaccination scheduling will be open on January 11.
Eligible populations included in Phase 1B are:
- K-12 school staff and childcare workers
- Law Enforcement/Protective Services*
- Adults age 75 and older
County health officials said healthcare workers who were eligible from Phase 1A who still need to schedule their first appointments can do so but will not be prioritized over other currently-eligible individuals in Phase 1B.
With limited vaccine availability, health officials said it is their highest priority to ensure every eligible Maricopa County resident will have access to receive their vaccines.
Adults who live in communal settings and other essential workers will be prioritized for vaccination in Phase 1B after the groups listed above, according to their website.
The Pima County Health Department will also begin to transition into Phase 1B at the end of next week, according to Pima County’s Deputy County Administrator and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francisco Garcia.
“It’s wonderful that we have the highest vaccination rate in the state, but none of us should be happy with where we are right now,” said Pima County Health Director Dr. Theresa Cullen. “It’s critical that as we are in an accelerated rate of transmission that we accelerate our immunization process. I’m grateful to Pima County that we are making this commitment.”
Dr. Cullen said Pima County is hoping to get through 1B group vaccinations by the end of March.