Fury over plan to give jailed killers, rapists, child molesters Covid vaccine first over elderly

A plan to vaccinate jailed criminals against coronavirus before giving the shots to the elderly and sick has sparked outrage. Photo / KDVR / AP

People in the US state of Colorado are furious after it was revealed the state plans to vaccinate jailed criminals against Covid-19 before the elderly and vulnerable despite there being a shortage of doses.

Colorado shared its distribution plans in October, and said incarcerated adults should be given top priority for the heavily sought-after injections, which will initially be in short-supply.

"They have prioritised rapists, murderers and child molesters over my 78-year-old law-abiding father," local prosecutor George Brauchler told media.

"People can have respiratory diseases, and they're below murderers. People who are immuno-compromised are below rapists, and robbers and child molesters. None of that makes any sense."

Following backlash, Colorado Governor Jared Polis was forced to intervene, and now says the distribution plan will be changed.

The outcry has reached the White House, with Polis fronting a media conference with Covid-19 expert Dr Anthony Fauci.

Polis said: "There's no way it's going to go to prisoners before it goes to people that haven't committed any crime. That's obvious."

Polis' U-turn then frustrated campaigners who pointed out prisons are the main source of large outbreaks in the state.

Denise Maes from the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado said it was impossible to adhere to social distancing guidelines in prison.

Maes told KDVR: "There are many individuals in our jails who are frankly innocent. They are there pre-trial, simply because they cannot afford to pay bond.

"The notion that he's trying to demonise the individuals in those jails is really unfortunate."

Vaccinations across the US could start as early as next week, with the Food and Drug Administration speaking to Pfizer and Moderna over the next two weeks.

Colorado has had 239,000 Covid-19 cases and 3100 deaths.

More than 13.7 Americans have been infected and there have been more than 271,000 deaths.