ByWTOC Staff|December 14, 2020 at 2:30 PM EST - Updated December 14 at 8:33 PM
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Georgia on Monday, Dec. 14, according to the Department of Public Health (DPH).
The shipments of the Pfizer vaccine arrived at two public health locations in the coastal part of the state. The shipments contained 5,850 doses of vaccine for individuals to receive their first dose of the two dose series, according to DPH.
The Coastal Health District is working on the logistics of thawing, preparing, and administering the vaccine, and will begin vaccinating front line public health staff on Monday afternoon, DPH states. A broader vaccination program for high priority individuals in Chatham, Glynn, and surrounding counties is scheduled to begin on Tuesday. The district will reportedly make vaccine available to local hospitals as those facilities await their own deliveries.
Because the initial COVID-19 vaccine supply is limited, DPH is following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and prioritizing healthcare personnel and residents of long-term care facilities for vaccination.
DPH states it expects the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to give Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorization later this week. If that approval is granted, Moderna’s vaccine could arrive in Georgia beginning next week.
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