Last month, members of Congress joined state and local leaders in urging California officials to speed up COVID-19 vaccinations at ports in the midst of high-stakes wars.

Such decisions are often taken at local level, leading to a patchwork of eligibility rules for vaccination at a time when demand for COVID-19 vaccines greatly outstrips supply.

The clinic, which devoted 800 doses of the Moderna Inc vaccine to port workers, was coordinated by the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services.

The event occurs as mass inoculation sites are temporarily closed in other areas of Los Angeles County - including at Dodger Stadium - due to a lack of supply of vaccines.

Meanwhile, some states are beginning to extend vaccines to supermarket clerks, line cooks, bus drivers and teachers beyond first responders, healthcare workers and the elderly.

Grocery store and restaurant workers are allowed to get the shots in New York state. And some auto factory workers have started getting vaccines in Illinois.

Maritime Business World