Hutchinson, court split on vaccine eligibility order
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas’ highest court on Thursday ordered the state to immediately make the coronavirus vaccine available to judges, prosecutors and other court employees, but Gov. Asa Hutchinson said they’ll have to wait if they’re not already eligible for the shots.
The state Supreme Court issued an order declaring the employees essential government workers that it said should be immediately eligible for the vaccine. The high court has suspended jury trials through the end of April, though courts have remained open for other proceedings.
“These essential justice-system workers have placed themselves in harm’s way for nearly a year, with severe consequences,” the two-page order signed by Chief Justice Dan Kemp said.
It’s not clear how many people would be covered by the order, which also called for making the vaccine available for some attorneys and jurors, as well as court clerks.
Arkansas has made people at least 65 years old eligible for the vaccine, along with several other groups that include teachers, health care workers, and law enforcement. The governor on Tuesday also said that poultry plant and other food manufacturing workers are now eligible for the vaccine.
Hutchinson said the court didn’t have the authority to expand eligibility, saying it goes against the guidelines of the State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hutchinson said the employees cited in the court’s order are in phase 1-B of the state’s vaccination plan, which the state hasn’t fully opened for the vaccines. He said the Health Department has told pharmacies and providers not to deviate from its vaccine distribution plan.
“As our allocation of vaccine increases, we will be able to move more quickly, but currently, court employees who don’t otherwise qualify for a shot will have to wait for their eligibility,” Hutchinson said.
The Department of Health said 687,197 of the 1.1 million vaccine doses allocated to the state have been given so far.