Uber wants to get its drivers COVID-19 vaccines pronto – Roadshow [CNET]

Uber wants the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to think about classifying its ride-hailing drivers as essential workers when it comes to the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. In a letter Uber sent to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices the company argued its ride-hailing and delivery drivers play a crucial role amid the pandemic.

The argument revolves around the public’s ability to stay home and order food, which can minimize contact between potentially asymptomatic people. The company did not immediately return Roadshow’s request for comment on the letter.

It’s one of many letters the committee received in recent weeks as various industries lobby to move to the top of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution list. The committee already stated front-line healthcare workers and individuals living in long-term care facilities will be the first to receive vaccines, however.

The US Food and Drug Administration hasn’t yet authorized a vaccine, though both Pfizer and Moderna have applied for emergency use authorizations within the past couple of weeks. It’s expected the FDA will approve both vaccines this month, with the goal of vaccinating 20 million people by the end of December. The public at large likely won’t have access to a vaccine until the middle of 2021.