December 22nd, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons issued a statement saying that it had begun to vaccinate prisoners against the novel coronavirus. Previously, the Federal Bureau of Prisons had said that despite the surge in the rate of COVID-19 infection in prisoners, the vaccine would be reserved for prison staff.
A spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons said that some high-risk prisoners have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus in prisons in different parts of the United States. The number of prisoners specifically vaccinated is not known.
In addition, as of now, 3,642 inmates and 1,225 staff members of federal prisons have tested positive for COVID-19, according to media reports, and a total of 171 inmates have died of COVID-19.
