Advertisement

Header Utility Menu

  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Events

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

  • Login

Virginia Business

Mobile Menu

  • Issues
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Law
    • Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Federal Contracting
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Startups
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • COVID-19
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Most Influential Virginians
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards/Events
    • 2022 Virginia Business Political Roundtable
    • Women in Leadership
    • Diversity Leadership Series
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Read The Issue
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Suggest execs for 2023

Advertisement

Header Primary Menu

  • Issues
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • Issues Archive
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Law
    • Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Federal Contracting
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Startups
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • COVID-19
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Most Influential Virginians
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards/Events
    • 2022 Virginia Business Political Roundtable
    • Women in Leadership
    • Diversity Leadership Series
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Read The Issue
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Suggest execs for 2023

Home News First batch of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine distributed in Va.

First batch of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine distributed in Va.

140,000 doses received this week are going to long-term care facilities and hospitals

Published December 23, 2020 by Kate Andrews

Richmond region health districts are among 96 facilities that are receiving Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses this week in Virginia. Photos provided by VDH

Virginia health districts and health care facilities statewide began receiving the newly approved Moderna COVID-19 vaccine this week, Virginia Department of Health announced Tuesday.

About 140,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine were expected to arrive by Wednesday, as well as 50,000 more doses of the Pfizer Inc. vaccine, which will be distributed to 96 sites across the state. Last week, an initial shipment of 72,000 Pfizer vaccine doses was distributed to 18 hospitals in Virginia, with the first shots going to frontline medical workers caring directly for COVID-19 patients.

The additional batch of the Moderna vaccine, which doesn’t require the same special ultra-cold storage as Pfizer, will allow long-term care facility (LTCF) workers and residents to be vaccinated. Most Virginia nursing homes are taking part in the federal LTCF Pharmacy Partnership Program, which brings teams from CVS and Walgreens to administer shots onsite at the facilities, beginning the week of Dec. 28, according to VDH.

The federal vaccine task force, Operation Warp Speed, is expected to send about 100,000 vaccine doses each week (50,000 of each vaccine) to Virginia for the next few weeks, but VDH cautions that the actual amount of vaccine received here is “a moving target and is dependent on when and how quickly vaccination doses are manufactured.” At the start of the month, VDH officials announced that the state would get 480,000 doses by the end of the year, but revised the estimate to 370,650 doses.

Health care providers and workers at hospitals in COVID units, followed by long-term care facility residents and employees, are on the top priority lists for vaccinations in Virginia and in other states; in the commonwealth, the populations number about 500,000. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance this week from a panel of doctors and public health experts, setting priority vaccinations. After frontline care givers and long-term care facility residents and workers receive the vaccine, the next populations in line for COVID-19 vaccinations would be people ages 75 and older and about 30 million “frontline essential workers,” including grocery store workers, teachers and emergency responders. Others — including people age 65 to 74 and those with serious health conditions — will follow these groups, and Virginia public health officials expect the vaccines to be broadly available by summer 2021.

Roanoke Fire Chief David Hoback gets his COVID-19 vaccine shot on Dec. 23.

“Vaccines are our way out of this pandemic. With Pfizer-BioNTech and now Moderna vaccines available, more Virginians are able to get vaccinated,” State Health Commissioner Dr. Norman Oliver said in a statement. “The interest we are seeing from community members on when they can get vaccinated indicates people want this protection. We are working hard to get vaccines to people as quickly as possible. In the meantime, please continue to wear a face mask, practice social distancing and wash your hands frequently.”

The Richmond region — including the Richmond, Henrico, Chickahominy and Chesterfield health districts — received its first shipment of vaccine doses Tuesday. Local health districts will offer closed vaccination events and clinics into the new year, health officials said, but cautioned Virginians to “remain vigilant in COVID-19 prevention practices.”

Roanoke city and Alleghany health districts held their first vaccination event for up to 300 EMS workers in the region, as well as fire chiefs from Allegheny, Botetourt, Craig and Roanoke counties and the cities of Roanoke and Salem. Roanoke Fire Chief David Hoback called it “a monumental day.”

“It’s been hard on not only this community and but on our nation. This is another step in slowing the process and ending the pandemic,” he says. “Fire and EMS personnel are often on the front line.”

VDH announced Wednesday that its COVID-19 dashboard will include data on how many people have been administered the vaccines, as well as which localities have received vaccine doses and how many. According to the Dec. 23 update, 227,425 total doses have been distributed throughout the state, and 19,943 people have been vaccinated with one dose. Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are completed with two shots, so no one has yet been fully vaccinated, according to VDH.

Despite vaccines becoming available, Virginia is under increased restrictions due to a significant rise in the number of cases and deaths, especially in Southwest Virginia. As of Wednesday, the state has recorded 314,481 total cases and 4,705 deaths, and the average number of daily new cases is 3,842 per day over the past week, while 610.6 new cases per 100,000 people have been reported in the last two weeks, according to VDH. The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association reported 2,586 people are currently hospitalized with COVID or are awaiting test results throughout the state, while 33% of ventilators are in use and 81% of ICU beds are occupied by people with COVID and without the virus.

Subscribe to Virginia Business.

Get our daily e-newsletter.

 

Related Stories

Virginia Business logo

COVID roundup: 1 year into pandemic, Va. makes headway with vaccinations

Nearly 1.5M Virginians have received at least one shot

Danville, Eastern Shore first Va. localities to move into third vaccination phase

Group 1c includes energy, law, finance and higher ed workers

COVID roundup: Nearly 25% of Virginians vaccinated; fewer restrictions expected April 1

Total Va. COVID cases exceeds 600k

Trending

13th annual Best Places to Work

Virginia ABC announces next Pappy lotteries

Magical moments

Cox expands Myers’ role to East Coast

Morrissey’s Petersburg casino bill fails in Senate Finance

Sponsored Stories

Working at Pinnacle Financial Partners

What Logistics issues will have the biggest impact on you in 2023?

In the New Year, Aim for Better Cybersecurity

4 innovative ways to create capacity

WHERE IS THE SUPPLY CHAIN WHEN YOU NEED IT?

P.A.I.N.T. Your Financial Mountain

5 Benefits of Treasury Management Services from Atlantic Union Bank

Blazing trails in the digital landscape

Advertisement

Advertisement

Trending

13th annual Best Places to Work

Virginia ABC announces next Pappy lotteries

Magical moments

Cox expands Myers’ role to East Coast

Morrissey’s Petersburg casino bill fails in Senate Finance

Sponsored Stories

Working at Pinnacle Financial Partners

What Logistics issues will have the biggest impact on you in 2023?

In the New Year, Aim for Better Cybersecurity

4 innovative ways to create capacity

WHERE IS THE SUPPLY CHAIN WHEN YOU NEED IT?

P.A.I.N.T. Your Financial Mountain

5 Benefits of Treasury Management Services from Atlantic Union Bank

Blazing trails in the digital landscape

Get Virginia Business directly on your tablet or in your mailbox!

Subscribe to Virginia Business

Advertisement

Advertisement

Footer Primary Menu

  • virginiabusiness.com
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Footer Secondary Menu

  • Industries
  • Regions
  • Reports
  • Company News
  • Events

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Sign Up

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

Privacy Policy Cookie Policy

Footer Utility Menu

Copyright © 2023 Virginia Business. All rights reserved.

Site Maintained by TechArk