CDC advisory panel changes guidelines to prioritize over 75s for COVID-19 vaccine after facing backlash for suggesting black and Hispanic essential workers should be vaccinated before elderly The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted earlier this week that people 75 and older and some front-line workers should be vaccinated next That advice is different to the preliminary guidelines it issued at the beginning of the month that sparked outrage and fierce debate among some The preliminary advice had suggested all non-healthcare essential workers, totaling about 85 million people, should be prioritized over the elderly That recommendation was made, in part, because racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately represented in many essential industries