RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia is preparing to receive 480,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of December from manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna.
The Virginia Department of Health says the first shipment will be about 72,000 doses from Pfizer, and that the first round will go to healthcare workers who care for COVID-19 patients.
The next shipments will be divided among healthcare workers and long-term care facility residents.
"We will focus initially on the groups that have been most at risk for severe illness from COVID-19 infections and those whose work puts them at greatest risk of contracting COVID-19 infections," said Virginia State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver, M.D., M.A. "Over time, as more vaccine supply becomes available, more Virginians will be able to get vaccinated, and we can look forward to a time when this pandemic will end."
The VDH said the actual amount of vaccine received in Virginia is a moving target and dependent on when and how quickly vaccination doses are manufactured. Health department officials said they are coordinating future prioritization based on federal guidance.