According to the CDC’s recommendations, Food and Agriculture workers are included in Phases 1B (food and agricultural workers, and grocery store workers) and 1C (food service workers). While CDC makes the recommendations, each state has its own plan for which groups of people will be vaccinated first.
How big is the food and agriculture industry?
The Food and Agriculture Sector is almost entirely under private ownership and is composed of an estimated 2.1 million farms, 935,000 restaurants, and more than 200,000 registered food manufacturing, processing, and storage facilities. This sector accounts for roughly one-fifth of the nation’s economic activity.
How does the food and agriculture sector depend on other sectors?
The Food and Agriculture Sector has critical dependencies with many sectors, but particularly with the following: Water and Wastewater Systems, for clean irrigation and processed water; Transportation Systems, for movement of products and livestock; Energy, to power the equipment needed for agriculture production and food processing
Who is considered an essential food service worker?
All workers who are part of the 2.1 million farms, 935,000 restaurants and more than 200,000 registered food manufacturing, processing and storage facilities are considered essential by the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Why is it important to have healthy food workers?
Healthy workers help to ensure the availability of a safe and plentiful food supply. FDA has been doing what we can to support a safe and ample food supply, but that would not be possible without millions of men and women working in food and agriculture jobs.
Who is considered to be essential worker during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Essential (critical infrastructure) workers include health care personnel and employees in other essential workplaces (e.g., first responders and grocery store workers).
What are some exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine?
Some people may be at risk for an adverse reaction because of an allergy to one of the vaccine components or a medical condition. This is referred to as a medical exemption. Some people may decline vaccination because of a sincerely held religious belief. This is referred to as a religious exemption.
What do I need to show the airlines if I have a medical contraindication to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine?
What do I need to show if I have a medical contraindication to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine? You must show a letter from a licensed physician documenting the medical contraindication to the airline or aircraft operator before boarding a flight to the United States.
Can I drink alcohol before getting a COVID-19 vaccine?
“In some circumstances, alcohol can accelerate allergic reactions,” Kaplan says. “Since we do not yet know enough about the influence of alcohol on allergic reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines, I recommend avoiding drinking alcohol for 24 hours before and after your vaccination.”
Do I qualify for an exception or can I apply for an exception to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement?
See full answerCategories of noncitizen, nonimmigrants that meet the criteria for an exception under the proclamation and CDC’s order include: Persons on diplomatic or official foreign government travel Children under 18 years of age Persons with documented medical contraindications to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine Participants in certain COVID-19 vaccine trials Persons issued a humanitarian or emergency exception Persons with valid visas [excluding B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourism) visas] who are citizens of a foreign country with limited COVID-19 vaccine availability. Members of the U.S. Armed Forces or their spouses or children (under 18 years of age). Sea crew members traveling pursuant to a C-1 and D nonimmigrant visa Persons whose entry would be in the national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, Secretary of Transportation, or Secretary of Homeland Security (or their designees)
Should you get the Covid vaccine if you have an autoimmune disease?
The American College of Rheumatology COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Guidance recommends that people with autoimmune and inflammatory rheumatic disease (which includes lupus) get the vaccine unless they have an allergy to an ingredient in the vaccine.
Can I fly in the US if I do not qualify for a COVID-19 innoculation?
If you are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you will NOT be allowed to board a flight to the United States, unless you meet the criteria for an exception under the Proclamation and CDC’s Order.
What documentation do I need to fly if I am a member of the U.S. Armed Forces during the COVID-19 pandemic?
You will need to show a U.S. military identification document, such as a military ID or Common Access Card (CAC) or a DEERS ID Card, or other proof of status as a member or spouse or child (under 18 years of age) of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces.
What are the medical contraindications for the COVID-19 vaccine?
Medical contraindications to COVID-19 vaccination include immediate or severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) after a previous dose or component of a COVID-19 vaccine or known allergy to a component of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Can the use of alcohol affect immune system?
Alcohol consumption is associated with a range of communicable and noncommunicable diseases and mental health disorders, which can make a person more vulnerable to COVID-19. In particular, alcohol compromises the body’s immune system and increases the risk of adverse health outcomes. Therefore, people should minimize their alcohol consumption at any time, and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Should I take an antihistamine before the COVID-19 vaccine?
It is also not recommended to take antihistamines before getting a COVID-19 vaccine to try to prevent allergic reactions.
Can I take Advil before COVID-19 vaccine?
The bottom line Because there’s a possibility that OTC pain relievers, such as Tylenol or Advil, might weaken your immune system’s response to vaccines, it’s best not to take them before you get your shot. But feel free to take Tylenol or Advil after the COVID-19 vaccine if you need it.
What are the dependencies of the food and agriculture sector?
The Food and Agriculture Sector has critical dependencies with many sectors, but particularly with the following: Water and Wastewater Systems, for clean irrigation and processed water. Transportation Systems, for movement of products and livestock.
What are the main sectors of agriculture?
The Food and Agriculture Sector has critical dependencies with many sectors, but particularly with the following: 1 Water and Wastewater Systems, for clean irrigation and processed water 2 Transportation Systems, for movement of products and livestock 3 Energy, to power the equipment needed for agriculture production and food processing 4 Chemical, for fertilizers and pesticides used in the production of crops
What is a food and agriculture sector specific plan?
The Food and Agriculture Sector-Specific Plan details how the National Infrastructure Protection Plan risk management framework is implemented within the context of the unique characteristics and risk landscape of the sector. Each Sector Risk Management Agency develops a sector-specific plan through a coordinated effort involving its public and private sector partners. The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services are designated as the co-Sector Risk Management Agencies for the Food and Agriculture Sector.
Which agency is responsible for risk management in the food and agriculture sector?
The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services are designated as the co-Sector Risk Management Agencies for the Food and Agriculture Sector.
Agriculture key to Michigan consumers
Whitmer’s inclusion of critical infrastructure workers as defined by CISA, including agriculture designations, is essential to Michigan consumers, says Michigan Farm Bureau President Carl Bednarski.
Essential critical agriculture workforce
Here is the CISA guidance on the essential critical infrastructure workforce for agriculture.
Why is the FDA important for workers?
Healthy workers help to ensure the availability of a safe and plentiful food supply.
What is the FDA working with?
The FDA, in partnership with CDC and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has been working to provide food facilities with information and resources to help protect their workers against COVID-19 infection.
What is the role of the FDA?
FDA’s Role. The FDA’s authority includes authorizing or approving COVID-19 vaccines for use in the United States. Find out where to get a vaccine on CDC’s Webpage COVID-19 Vaccine: Helps protect you from getting COVID-19. Learn more from the FDA about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines .
Is the FDA doing what it can to support food?
FDA has been doing what we can to support a safe and ample food supply, but that would not be possible without millions of men and women working in food and agriculture jobs. Day in and day out, they have answered the call as essential workers in support of the food supply. We thank them.
What are labor advocates left to stitch together?
In the absence of standard guidance, labor advocates are left to stitch together clear directions and information for workers who are vital to America’s food system but face unique challenges to accessing the vaccine.
Do meat processors have safety measures?
The nation’s largest meat processors — whose slaughterhouses became hot spots for coronavirus outbreaks last spring — have since stepped up worker safety measures and testing. Now they’re mounting an effort to vaccinate the meatpacking workforce, including by doing it themselves.
Did Cuomo drop food processing workers?
In New York, for example, a last-minute decision by Gov. Andrew Cuomo dropped farm and food processing workers from its Phase 1b vaccine rollout, after the state received fewer doses of the vaccine than it expected. Agriculture groups including the New York Farm Bureau, apple growers and dairy processors were quick to blast that decision.
What are the industries of agriculture and food service?
The agriculture and food service sectors encompass a wide range of activities, including animal and crop production, manufacturing of food products, support services such as testing and inspections, and restaurants and retail sales. Food service workers have been some of the most visibly impacted by state stay-at-home orders as restaurants have been forced to close or adapt to takeout-only service. Agriculture and food production businesses and workers up the supply chain have faced their own challenges. From reports of significant supply chain issues forcing farmers to destroy crops and spill gallons of milk, demand for typical products farmers and production facilities would be sending to restaurants and schools is way down, while the demand for grocery-ready items has increased.
How many retail workers are women?
Demographically, 40% of retail workers are women, although the gender distribution varies widely by occupation within the sector. Cashiers, who earn an average of $8.25 per hour, are predominantly women, whereas delivery drivers, who earn an average of $16.20, are predominantly men.
What is essential worker?
According to the U..S Department of Homeland Security, essential workers are those who conduct a range of operations and services that are typically essential to continue critical infrastructure operations. Critical infrastructure is a large, umbrella term encompassing sectors from energy to defense to agriculture.
How many states have essential worker orders?
Of the 43 states with essential worker orders or directives, 21 now defer to the federal definitions developed by the US. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). CISA’s guidance and sector-specific list, according to the agency’s website, are intended to support state and local governments in their identification of essential workers. The agency says, “promoting the ability of [critical workers] to continue to work during periods of community restriction, access management, social distancing or closure orders is crucial to community resilience and the continuity of essential functions.”
What is retail industry?
The retail industry is the second-largest employment sector in the United States, accounting for nearly 1 in 10 of all domestic workers. While salespersons, cashiers, stock clerks and first-line supervisors in brick-and-mortar stores are primary examples of retail workers, those involved in the facilitation and execution of e-commerce, such as delivery drivers and warehouse packers, are a growing segment of the sector’s workforce. According to recent research, four occupations comprise the bulk of the industry, constituting roughly 79% of all retail worker employment: retail salespersons (about 25%), drivers and sales workers (24%), cashiers (20%), and stock clerks and order fillers (11%).
Why are retail occupations considered essential?
From keeping grocery store shelves stocked to delivering consumer goods, many occupations within retail are deemed essential due to the role they play in maintaining everything from food to personal security. For this reason, all states with available guidance have deemed occupations within the retail sector essential.
Which states have nonessential firearms?
All but five states—-New York, Massachusetts, Washington, New Mexico and Vermont —deemed firearms stores nonessential. At least 20 states have adopted federal guidance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on essential workers.
How Community Leaders Are Helping
Established food banks weren’t the only organizations that stepped in to address the growing numbers of food-insecure Americans. Community leaders across the country also met the needs head-on and did what they could for their neighbors.
Culturally Competent Ways to Help
If you’re in a position to help, reach out to your local food bank. Organizers working directly in your neighborhood understand the unique needs of your community.
What This Means For You
You can find your local food bank by visiting the Feeding America website and searching with your zip code. You can also visit the SNAP website to determine if you’re eligible to apply in your state.
Food Supply Chains Under Strain
The food we eat every day represents the work of a lot of people. Even food from a more simple supply chain, like produce at a local farmers’ market, relies on workers to get there — and most of our food comes from much more complicated supply chains than that.
Seasonal Worker Shortages
In addition to the threat of the virus itself, the restrictions imposed on travel and activity to control the virus have added additional uncertainty. Even when other jobs are scarce, most Americans aren’t willing to work on farms, so agriculture still relies heavily on foreign workers.
Protecting Workers
Food and farmworkers need to be better compensated and adequately protected from the risks posed by COVID-19. Many workers in food and agriculture were left out of the relief bill that mandated paid sick leave for other industries, and farmworkers have limited resources to take advantage of emergency aid like school meal distribution.
ACIP Categories of Essential Workers
- Essential Healthcare Workers (1a): All paid and unpaid persons serving in healthcare settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials. This includ…
- Essential Non-Healthcare Workers: Workers who are essential to maintain critical infrastructure and continue critical services and functions
Essential Industry Classification Based on Cisa Guidance
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In this list, industries are identified using the 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)pdf iconexternal icon. NAICS codes are hierarchical; the first two digits represent general categories of economic activities, and each subsequent digit provides another level of detail. CDC mapped standardized industry codes and titles to the most current (v4.0) CISA Essential Critical …
Note About Industry vs. Occupation
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The list provided below categorizes workers based on the industry (type of business) in which they work, not based on their occupation (a person’s specific job). Although workers’ status as essential under the CISA guidance is most readily determined by the industry in which they work, their exposure risk may be largely determined by their occupation. Because the most efficient va…
Note About Multi-Employer Workplaces
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The list provided below categorizes workers based on the primary industry of their workplace. Some workplaces include workers employed by a mix of employers that fall under different industry categories (NAICS codes). For workers employed by contract firms or temporary help agencies, the staffing agency and the host employer are joint employers and, therefore, both are …
Protect Workers, Families, Coworkers and The Community
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The FDA encourages the leadership and management of food facilities to support worker vaccinations. When an essential worker gets a COVID-19 vaccine, they protect themselves, their families, co-workers, and their communities. Healthy workers help to ensure the availability of a safe and plentiful food supply.
FDA’s Role
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FDA has been doing what we can to support a safe and ample food supply, but that would not be possible without millions of men and women working in food and agriculture jobs. Day in and day out, they have answered the call as essential workers in support of the food supply. We thank them. The FDA’s authority includes authorizing or approving COVID-…
on This Page
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Employers will find resources and information to help facilitate vaccinations for their workforce on site at the workplace or in the community. 1. Communication Toolkit from (HHS) 2. Additional Information on the COVID-19 Vaccine from CDC 3. Meetings & Webinar Recordings 4. Guide to Vaccinating Workers: Vaccinating Migrant/Migratory and Seasonal Food and Agriculture Worker…
Additional Information on The Covid-19 Vaccine from CDC
Meetings & Webinar Recordings
- Adult Vaccine Access Coalition/United Farm Workers Webinar
Guests and panelists including Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Janet Woodcock and Director of the FDA Center for Biologics Education and Research, Dr. Peter Marks, discuss vaccine safety, effectiveness, and confidence.