The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) previously expanded the definition of "essential workers" to incorporate out-of-school time workers, including camp staff. To support that move, CDC recently made changes to their website that explicitly list camp staff in Phase 1b of their vaccination prioritization.

CDC’s Interim List of Categories of Essential Workers Mapped to Standardized Industry Codes and Titles states the following: 

Some subcategories within these NAICS [North American Industry Classification System] groupings industries are designated as essential critical infrastructure by CISA [US Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency] but are not contained within any of the large workforce categories explicitly included by ACIP [Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices]:

• 7212 RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps

Additional notes about specific industries:

^aThis includes workers who are providing these services outside of a fixed workplace (e.g., street outreach workers).

^bWorkers in other industries whose duties involve child day care (e.g., day camps, afterschool activities) may also be considered for 1b prioritization.

Please note that while CDC has recommended that camp workers be deemed as essential workers, each state governor ultimately decides which workers are deemed essential in their state. The language included on the CDC website details the clear intention of CDC to have camp staff included in the vaccination prioritization.