KINGSFORD — The Dickinson-Iron District Health Department is planning the distribution for the COVID-19 vaccine, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on who will receive the vaccine and when.

At this time the health department is only gathering information on the following priority groups:

— Health care, direct patient contact who conduct high risk procedures (e.g. dentists, endoscopy, dialysis).

— Health care, direct patient contact including outpatient, urgent care, ambulatory care, and home health care.

— Health care, indirect patient care with specialized skills critical to health care system functioning (e.g. hospital and public health laboratories, pharmacy).

— K-12 school and child care staff with direct contact with children.

— Critical infrastructure: chemical, communications, dams, emergency services, financial services, government facilities, information technology, transportation systems, energy, food and agriculture, health care and public health, nuclear reactors, materials and waste, and water and wastewater systems.

— Homeless shelters, corrections facilities (prisons, jails, juvenile justice facilities), congregate child care institutions, and adult and child protective services.

— Workers with unique skill sets not covered above, such as non-hospital laboratories and mortuary services.

Businesses and agencies that fall within the above listed priority groups, and wish to be put on a list to be contacted by the health department to receive the vaccine will need to complete the following survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DIDHDCOVIDVACCINE .

It is crucial that businesses and agencies complete this survey to be placed on the distribution list, said Daren Deyaert, health officer.

Only one survey per business or agency will be accepted. Deadline to complete the survey is Jan. 11.

The Upper Peninsula should be receiving additional vaccine on a weekly basis, with the vaccination process continuing as supply and demand allow. It is expected that vaccine availability will be limited to the highest risk individuals in the first several months and that vaccine will be available to the general public during the spring of 2021.

Pharmacies, including CVS and Walgreens, have been contracted to vaccinate staff and residents of long-term care facilities and will directly receive COVID vaccine allotments.

For additional information, go to www.didhd.org.