COVID-19 vaccine to be rolled out in four phases, starting with health workers



[ad_1]

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) – With the announcement that vaccines may soon be distributed in Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey explained how the plan will work.

The first distribution is scheduled for December 14 or 15. It’s 24 to 48 hours after the FDA is expected to approve the Pfizer vaccine.

“As soon as the FDA made this decision, the federal government made a commitment to award it and ship it to the states within 24 hours,” said Dr. Piercey. “We have made a commitment, as soon as we have it in hand, to start deploying it immediately.”

The state plan has four phases. The first phase concerns the front line against the fight against COVID-19.

Healthcare workers and first responders will be the first people in the state to be vaccinated. Eighty thousand units of the vaccine are expected in the first shipment. The priority of the State is to keep health workers in the fight against the virus.

“When you go into phase two, it’s basically the critical worker or critical infrastructure category. Then phase three is more of a large audience or general audience and phase four is for everyone, ”said Dr Piercey.

She said she didn’t expect to reach the final stages until late spring or summer. However, the timeline could change if more brands of vaccine become available.

In the short term, the Moderna vaccine is expected just a week after Pfizer goes on the market. Then, in early 2021, Astrazeneca and a Johnson and Johnson vaccine could be ready.

“We are all tired. We are tired of going through this. We are tired of living with all these restrictions. And from a health care perspective, we are tired of feeling helpless. And so, this vaccine is just a beacon of hope, ”said Dr Piercey.



[ad_2]

Source link