FRANKFORT, KY â Gov. Beshear and Kentucky Department for Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack have announced the next priority group for COVID-19 vaccinations in Kentucky. Phase 1b will be Kentuckians who are at least 70 years old, as well as first responders and educators, Gov. Beshear and Dr. Stack say. Depending on the vaccine distribution schedule, Phase 1b could begin as early as Feb. 1, 2021, give or take a week, according to the governor. Beshear also says 40 additional sites will receive vaccine doses for the first time this week. âIn Kentucky, we are going to include people who are 70 and older â thatâs five years younger than the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended. We believe here, because we have such a disproportionate burden of death in this population, we want to make the vaccine available as quickly as possible,â said Dr. Stack. âWe are also going to include first responders who havenât been vaccinated in Phase 1a already, as well as K-12 school personnel.â