ABA Letter to CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices: "Essential" Workers

Dr. Jose R. Romero, MD, FAAP
Chair, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30333

Dear Chair Romero,

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the American Bankers Association has been working closely with public health agencies including the CDC to ensure that the banking industry maintains the highest level of safety for the nation’s two million bank employees and the millions of customers they serve every day. We greatly appreciate the guidance and support we have received from the CDC and other agencies, and we are pleased to report that the banking system has remained open and operational throughout the pandemic. We are proud of the dedicated bank employees who have stepped up to this challenge, and in some cases put themselves at risk to ensure Americans can continue to access their accounts as needed.

As CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices convenes to make recommendations for phased vaccinations, I wanted to reiterate ABA’s position on which bank employees we believe should be considered for prioritized vaccination alongside other “essential” workers.

The current DHS CISA guidance designates that a range of bank workers are “essential” given their unique roles in support of the economy and their local communities. This important designation allows them to conduct their work and travel as needed when states and localities impose pandemic-related restrictions. We deeply appreciate that the CDC’s ACIP has already recommended that “essential” personnel from a range of industries including banking be included in the vaccination distribution Phase 1B sequence after healthcare workers and long-term care residents. It is ABA’s view that the definition of “essential” bank employees for consideration in Phase 1B should be limited to frontline bank employees who come into contact with customers, such as tellers and loan officers.
We believe these frontline workers face the highest risk of infection, pose the greatest risk of spreading the virus if infected, and are absolutely essential, especially in communities where residents may not have access to electronic banking tools. Ultimately, we know that each state will determine its own vaccine distribution sequencing, but the CDC’s recommendations will guide those decisions.

Again, we deeply appreciate the CDC’s efforts on behalf of the nation at this challenging time. If the banking industry can do anything else to promote public health, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Sincerely,

Paul Benda
Senior Vice President, Risk and Cybersecurity Policy