Gov. Ned Lamont convened the first meeting of the task force created to help distribute an eventual COVID-19 vaccine throughout Connecticut.

The group met virtually for the first time Thursday.

They will be responsible for advising the governor on all things COVID-19 vaccine-related, including statewide vaccine distribution strategies.

They will also be responsible for prioritizing who will get the vaccine first. Lamont says that includes essential workers and at-risk populations.

The Connecticut Public Health Department plans to submit an initial plan to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday, but Dr. Deirdre Gifford, the state health commissioner, wants to emphasize that the plan is just a draft and is flexible.

"We've done this with limited information about the actual vaccine itself, and requirement and populations, so we are doing our best to prepare," Gifford says.

The three subcommittees include allocation, science, and communication.

The scientific committee will be answering questions like when is it safe to get the vaccine. The communications committee re-emphasizes the goal of trust and transparency. And allocation will decide who will get the vaccine first.