I must push back on the false narrative that we’re vaccinating smokers while not vaccinating another group.

We have a limited supply of vaccines from the federal government – roughly 100,000 additional doses coming in per week.

Our first priority must be to vaccinate those at higher risk due to age or other health factors that put them at a greater vulnerability for severe COVID.

This is a respiratory virus.

Our goal is to save every life possible through facts and science.

Smoking puts someone at a higher risk of a more severe case of COVID. In this, we are in agreement with @CDCgov guidance.

Let’s be clear: in our new eligibility, we're vaccinating educators, transit workers, grocery store workers, & many other frontline workers.

I understand the optics here, & that attacking folks who took up the habit of smoking & who are now addicted may be politically expedient.

We are stuck in a position where we have to prioritize our limited vaccine doses based on medical fact and not political want.

We need to save lives, and we need to protect our hospitals from a patient surge.

We are following @CDCgov guidance.

Let’s not fall down a rabbit hole of breaking people down in categories of Job A versus Job B and who is more politically favorable to vaccinate.

The correct comparison is: Are you more vulnerable to a severe case of this virus or are you not more vulnerable?

Our job is to focus on vaccinating vulnerable residents first.

What we need to end this divisive and unproductive debate is an increase in our vaccine supply. For that, we need a federal administration that will unleash the process to meet demand.