Virginia has vaccinated 54,000 people against COVID-19 so far
RICHMOND — About 54,300 people in Virginia have received COVID-19 vaccines so far, a number that represents only about 20% of the total number of doses the state began receiving from manufacturers two weeks ago, according to an estimate reported by the state Department of Health.
Christy Gray, the director of the department’s Division of Immunization, said during a news briefing Wednesday that the actual number of people who have been vaccinated is believed to be higher than the number reflected on the state’s website because of delays in vaccine providers reporting data into the state registry.
Gray said the state has received about 285,700 vaccine doses so far, and is expecting another shipment of about 85,000 by the end of this week to bring the total number of doses received to about 370,000. The vaccines have come from two manufacturers — one by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, the other by Moderna.
Gray said logistical challenges and the holidays have slowed the process of getting people vaccinated.
“I think we are pleased with our progress, but we have a long way to go, and I think we will continue to get more efficient,” she said.
The first round of doses went to healthcare workers, and this week the state began vaccinating residents and staff members at long-term care facilities through a partnership with CVS and Walgreens. Gray said she expects it will take three or four weeks to complete those vaccinations. Residents of assisted living facilities will also be vaccinated during that time period.
Current plans call for the general population in Virginia to receive the vaccination in late spring or early summer, after high-risk and vulnerable populations. Gray said it’s difficult to predict if the state will be able to stick to that schedule, but said, “I don’t see a reason why we couldn’t.”
As of Wednesday, Virginia has reported 344,345 coronavirus cases and just under 5,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
Health officials said it was expected that the vaccination process would move slowly at first, as providers deal with new systems and operations.
“We’ve been planning for so long to get those moving pieces into place, and now that it’s working, we’re getting used to the process. It is expected to be slower in the beginning, but it will get much quicker as we progress,” the department said in a statement.