Virginia could receive limited doses of a Food and Drug Administration-approved coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer as soon as mid-December, a top health official said Monday.
Dr. Lillian Peake, the state epidemiologist, told the Virginia House Committee on Health Welfare and Institutions that certain groups will be prioritized in the vaccination process.
“We plan to work primarily through hospitals and pharmacy chains in the initial phase to vaccinate groups we anticipate may be prioritized: that’s health care workers and long-term care facility residents and staff,” Peake said, The Associated Press reported.
However, Peake warned there may not be enough doses for all the health care workers who need to be vaccinated.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will convene Tuesday to recommend who should be vaccinated and when should it take place.
Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech requested emergency-use approval from the FDA last month, followed by Moderna on Monday. The FDA scientific advisory committee will hold a meeting on Dec. 10 to examine Pfizer’s request and make a recommendation to the agency’s leadership, AP reported.
As of Tuesday, Virginia has more than 237,000 coronavirus cases and 4,000 related deaths, according to state health department statistics.