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Santa's Back-Room Vaccine Pitch
- Santa Rick Irwin lobbied the CDC's ACIP in August to prioritize professional Santas for early COVID vaccines.
- He later described calls with HHS official Michael Caputo promising vaccine access in exchange for Santas promoting vaccination events.
HHS Promised Santas A Deal
- Michael Caputo of HHS reportedly called Santas offering to station them at vaccine events and give them early shots.
- Santa Rick posted to fellow Santas that a deal was imminent before the administration later stopped responding.
Why 'Essential' Is A Broad Category
- The CDC's essential-worker definition centers on unavoidable public-facing exposure tied to others' life, health, or safety.
- That broad definition creates fuzzy edge cases where roles like mascots or Santas can be considered essential.