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The vast majority of nursing homes in the United States won't start vaccinating staff and residents against COVID-19 until Dec. 21, and some won't start until Dec. 28, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Monday's rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine brought confusion nationwide as it became clear long-term care facilities and nursing homes were not taking part in the initial immunizations, despite the CDC's decision last week to include residents in the first phase of distribution. (Weise and Mooney, 12/14)

CVS and Walgreens expect to start COVID-19 vaccination clinics in long-term care facilities in a week. Since the Food and Drug Administration on Friday granted emergency use authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech, the major pharmacy chains are working with skilled-nursing and assisted-living facilities to coordinate on-site vaccinations. That "work is already underway," Ruth Link-Gelles, an epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a webinar on vaccine rollouts Monday hosted by Argentum, a national association for professionally managed senior-living facilities. (Christ, 12/14)

He can barely see or hear, but 95-year-old Frank Bruno lives on his own terms: alone, unafraid and now — thanks to the coronavirus vaccine — “ironclad,” as he describes it. Mr. Bruno, an artist and World War II veteran, volunteered for the Moderna clinical trial only because his nephew was doing so. He thought he may have received the vaccine and not a placebo because he had some mild side effects; he became certain after he tested positive for antibodies. (Mandavilli, 12/14)

COVID-19 vaccines are being studied in older adults with underlying health conditions, but long-term care facility residents have not been specifically studied, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, issued in early December. Long-term care residents are often excluded from clinical trials for drugs and vaccines because researchers want to test new drugs under ideal circumstances. Some medical experts worry there is not enough data showing the vaccine is safe and effective among long-term care residents, specifically. This could mean the approved doses may not work as well or may prompt different side effects in this population. (12/14)

With the first doses of Covid-19 vaccine being administered across the United States, questions abound about who can safely get them. Expect answers to those questions to evolve as the vaccines go into broader use. But here’s what is known so far, and what experts at or advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend regarding their use at this point. (Branswell, 12/14)

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Monday that personnel in the White House situation room and certain members of Congress would receive early access to the coronavirus vaccine, after President Trump halted plans to deliver some of the first doses to high-ranking staffers. “What the president decided is, look, front-line workers need to come first. Our residents in long-term care facilities need to come first,” McEnany said on Fox News. “We will still have continuity of government. Key officials like Situation Room staff, among others, will have access to this vaccine, certain members of Congress.” (Chalfant, 12/14)

The first Covid shots will soon be available to top officials and essential staff in the White House, the Pentagon and Congress. But they’re already facing a political and ethical dilemma over who should be at the front of the line. While most of the scarce Pfizer vaccine is now on its way to hospitals and nursing homes across the country, some of the first tranche was reserved for federal leaders to ensure the government can continue to function as U.S. deaths and hospitalizations peak. President Donald Trump, President-elect Joe Biden and leaders in Congress could help themselves to it in the coming days. The question is: should they? (Ollstein, 12/14)