Illinois to receive 400,000 doses in first vaccine distribution

CHICAGO – Drugmaker Pfizer calls for emergency use of its COVID-19[female[feminine vaccine. If approved, a limited number of doses could be available as early as next month.

The Illinois director of public health said the state would receive 400,000 doses in the first round of vaccine distributions, and that those doses will be evenly distributed across all communities.

“These freezers, if you will, will be placed in all 11 regions to ensure that there is access for every part of the state to make the vaccine,” said Dr Ngozi Ezike.

Ezike presented the ultra-cold storage plan needed for Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine on Friday. Large hospitals across the state will administer it.

Healthcare workers and first responders will be the first to receive it.

“I think everyone understands why it was rushed to be in the middle of a global pandemic where we are losing countless, in our state alone we are losing 500, 600 people every week,” Ezike said.

It could take as little as two weeks for the vaccine to receive FDA approval. In the tests, it was 95% effective.

Compare that to last year’s flu shot, which was 39% effective.

“I’m cautiously optimistic about this, it’s one of the largest studies ever done in the United States. Over 40,000 participants in this study and the data looks incredible,” said Dr. Chris Colbert of the University of Illinois at Chicago.

The company says it plans to have 50 million doses available this year and 1.3 billion next year. Once vaccine approval is given, distribution will begin within 24 hours.