Funeral Directors to Get Top Priority for COVID-19 Vaccine

Funeral service advocates made a difference!

Last month, when NFDA asked you to join its efforts to tell NASEM that funeral directors need priority access to the COVID-19 vaccine, you responded.

Today, the National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) released the “Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine,” which includes funeral directors in the highest priority phase for vaccine allocation.

This significant step would not have happened without your help!

The final framework puts funeral directors in Phase 1a for vaccine allocation, which is the phase for high-risk healthcare workers and based, in-part, on the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency designation of funeral professionals as critical infrastructure workers.

The framework released by the NASEM was requested by the CDC and the National Institutes of Health. The framework is designed to inform the decisions by health authorities, including the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), as they create and implement national and/or local guidelines for COVID-19 vaccine allocation. (Note: Vaccines will not be mandatory.)

You can read the full document from NASEM here; the section related to funeral directors begins on page 95 of the PDF. 

Thank you!

In challenging times like these, it is important that our profession speaks with one strong voice. When we work together there is nothing we can’t do!

Over the last few month, funeral service advocates like you have made incredible strides in national policy. We cannot thank you enough for lending your voice to this important cause and being advocates for the funeral profession. Washington is listening and your voice truly matters!

If you have any questions about this issue, please contact Lesley Witter (NFDA), senior vice president, Advocacy at lwitter@nfda.org.