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New Jersey could receive around 130,000 doses of Pfizer’s new coronavirus vaccine by Christmas and up to 460,000 total doses for vaccinations by January, with health workers and the most vulnerable being the top priority, though Emergency approvals are granted, Gov. Phil Murphy and state health officials said Friday.
The governor’s announcement came the same day Pfizer said the company was asking U.S. regulators to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine.
“If this request were approved … then we would expect our first shipment of approximately 130,000 doses to arrive in state around Christmas, with more to follow,” Murphy said in his final briefing on coronaviruses in Trenton.
A second vaccine from pharmaceutical company Moderna could build capacity if it also receives emergency approval. Between the two, the state could receive 460,000 doses in early January, officials said.
Both vaccines require two doses.
That would only cover a portion of the state’s 9 million people – the nearly 5 million it aims to get vaccinated within six months of starting distribution. But officials said there would likely be enough supply by April or May for the general population.
“The news is really, really good on the development side,” Murphy said. “The distribution is quite complicated. … We need to make sure all the oars row together.
The state expects vaccines to be shipped directly to hospitals and the health department is currently working with other state and federal agencies to “work towards rapid and fair distribution” of vaccines, the commissioner said. health Judith Persichilli.
There will be a three-phase distribution. Initial doses will go to vulnerable residents, such as those over 65 with pre-existing illnesses, and health workers – including staff in hospitals, community health centers, doctors, pharmacies and clinics. home health workers.
It will also include staff and residents of long-term care facilities, where more than 7,000 people have died from complications from the coronavirus.
The Pfizer vaccine will be two doses 21 days apart and Moderna two doses 28 days apart.
Forty New Jersey hospitals say they have the capacity to handle the ultra-cold storage required for the Pfizer vaccine, she said. Moderna’s vaccine does not require the same ultra-cold handling.
Phase 2 will include a larger supply of vaccines, for critical populations and the general population, Persichilli said.
Phase 3 “should be sufficient” for April or early May to meet the overall demand of the general population, she said.
The ultimate goal is for at least 70% of New Jersey’s adult population to be vaccinated. That means about 81,000 residents are expected to be vaccinated every day five days a week – that’s about 3,200 people a day five days a week in each of the state’s 21 counties, Persichilli said last month.
By comparison, about 50% of New Jersey’s people receive the flu shot, and just over 70% of them are children, she said.
Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech say its vaccine appears to be 95% effective in preventing mild to severe COVID-19 disease in a large, ongoing study. Moderna reported similar results.
The companies said the protection associated with a good safety record means the vaccine should be eligible for emergency use authorization, which the Food and Drug Administration can grant before final testing is fully completed.
Pfizer’s Friday filing would set off a chain of events as the FDA and its independent advisers debate whether the plans are ready. If so, another government group will still have to decide how initially limited supplies will be rationed to anxiously waiting Americans.
CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracking | Bulletin | Home page
The news comes as New Jersey continues to grapple with a growing second wave of the pandemic. The state reported 3,635 more cases and 23 more deaths, while hospitalizations increased for the 21st day in a row.
“While waiting for the vaccine to arrive, we actually need to double the public health measures,” Persichilli said. “We need to continue to socially distance ourselves, wear a mask and wash our hands – especially now that we have a community statewide.”
Murphy warned that the next few months would be “ugly” until then.
“The numbers are not going in the right direction,” the governor said. “This will continue. It will definitely get worse. “
Murphy also said the state will ensure the vaccine is safe and effective before distributing doses to residents.
“But boy, it feels like it’s going very significantly in the right direction,” he said.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Matt Arco can be reached at [email protected].
Brent Johnson can be reached at [email protected].
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