The National Association for Federally-Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU) issued a statement supporting the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) determination credit union employees are part of an essential group.
Since the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, the CDC has made recommendations regarding which groups should be vaccinated first, as initial availability has been limited. In its most recent determination, the agency stated essential workers “such as people who work in transportation and logistics, food service, housing construction and finance, information technology, communications, energy, law, media, public safety, and public health” should be immunized in phase 1C.
“We appreciate the designation of workers in the finance industry as ‘essential’ under Phase 1C and want to ensure that all credit union employees are able to receive a vaccine as soon as possible so they may continue to protect the health and financial well-being of their members and communities,” NAFCU President and CEO Dan Berger wrote in a letter to the CDC.
Berger said credit union employees have been taking steps throughout the pandemic to minimize person-to-person interactions by limiting staff travel, encouraging staff to telework as much as possible, and reminding their members of online and mobile banking resources. Credit unions across the country also have worked to assist their members impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The health and safety of credit union staff and members remains the industry’s top priority as the COVID-19 pandemic endures,” Berger said.