Photo courtesy VCU Capital News Service. (Photo credit: Art Writ)
Virginia expects to receive its first allocation of 69,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses produced by Johnson & Johnson this week, along with about 360,000 more doses from Moderna and Pfizer Inc., the Virginia Department of Health announced this weekend.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Johnson & Johnson vaccine — which requires only one dose to be effective — for emergency use Saturday. Dr. Danny Avula, the state’s vaccine coordinator, said Friday in his weekly news conference that the state will receive fewer doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine after this week until the last week of March, when the company is expected to produce more doses.
According to VDH, the Johnson & Johnson doses “will be prioritized for mass vaccination clinics across the state. An additional allotment is expected to be sent to pharmacies participating in a federal partnership to help vaccinate priority groups, such as those 65 and older, at no cost.”
