Virginia told to expect 110,000 fewer COVID vaccine doses this month than originally planned
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Virginia officials have been told to expect about 110,000 fewer doses of the COVID vaccine from drug manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna this month than originally expected.
The state had been preparing for 480,000 doses by the end of the month – just about enough to inoculate every healthcare worker and resident of a long-term care facility in the state. But that number shrank to 370,650 Friday, according to Virginia Department of Health officials, who did not indicate why.
In a statement this week, Pfizer officials said that they had millions of doses of their vaccine waiting to be shipped out but hadn’t yet received directives from the federal government about where to send them. It was unclear if that uncertainty was related to the VDH’s announcement.
Eighteen Virginia hospitals received initial shipments of the Pfizer vaccine this week, and they began dispersing a total of 72,125 doses to frontline healthcare workers. Virginia already placed an order for 146,400 doses of the Moderna vaccine, which if approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration as expected in the next few days, will begin arriving the week of Dec. 21.
