The coordinator of Virginia鈥檚 COVID-19 vaccine program said Friday that immunizing everyone in Phase 1b in the commonwealth is 鈥渞ight around the corner.鈥�
Dr. Danny Avula added that President Joe Biden鈥檚 goal of having every adult eligible to get the vaccine by May 1 should be no sweat.
鈥淲e really think we will easily make that May 1 marker, and maybe outpace it by a couple of weeks,鈥� Avula said.
It鈥檚 鈥渧ery realistic鈥� to get through Phase 1b by mid-April, in some sections sooner, Avula added, saying that different areas of the commonwealth can move 鈥渁t their own pace鈥� to Phases 1c and 2: 鈥淲e certainly don鈥檛 want to slow any vaccinations down.鈥�
includes front line essential workers; people 65 and older; people 16 to 64 with a high-risk medical condition or disability, and people living in correctional facilities, homeless shelters and migrant labor camps.
Avula said Virginia was anticipating 195,000 first doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. As predicted, there was no Johnson & Johnson vaccine allocated this week, and a small amount 鈥� about 9,600 doses 鈥� is coming next week. The week of March 29, allocation could 鈥渟hoot up north of 100,000,鈥� Avula said.
Asked how the switch to Phase 1c would differ from the difficult progression to 1b in January, Avula said 鈥渋t has everything to do with the supply and the capacity to get it out.鈥� In January, the state was getting an average of 10,000 to 15,000 doses a day. They鈥檙e getting 55,000 a day now, and sometimes 70,000.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to have that really stark supply-to-demand mismatch that we had.鈥�
He said that vaccination sites that begin to drop below 90% of appointments being filled in Phase 1b can go into their 1c list if necessary to fill out those appointments. And if that starts happening regularly, he said, that鈥檚 a good sign the district can move to 鈥� other essential workers.
From there, 鈥淭here aren鈥檛 that many people in 1c,鈥� Avula said, predicting the move to Phase 2 鈥� where anyone is eligible 鈥� could take as little as a week.
Johnson & Johnson
Avula said people who have religious objections to the Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine have options: When people get their appointments, they鈥檒l be told what vaccine they鈥檙e in line to get, and can decline without losing their place in line. And the state may get to a point where distribution is so strong that providers will have more than one vaccine in stock, so people can pick.
Avula said he saw 鈥渞eally great turnout鈥� at mass vaccination sites he attended where the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was being administered, and lots of 鈥減ositive affirmation鈥� about the one-dose shot from 鈥渕any geographies and age and race demographics.鈥�
He reminded residents about the website to preregister for a vaccination appointment; you鈥檒l be contacted when it鈥檚 your turn. If you鈥檇 rather talk to someone, or if you have any questions or problems, the call center is at 877-VAX-IN-VA. Fairfax County is still maintaining its own system and is not participating in the state鈥檚 system.
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