Washington State Receives First Shipment of COVID-19 Vaccine

Everett, WA — The first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured by Pfizer, arrived in Washington state today, as medical professionals start working to distribute it to citizens most at-risk.

The vaccine is authorized by the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, which is comprised of health experts from Washington, California, Oregon and Nevada. The workgroup has been meeting in recent weeks to review the vaccine to ensure its safety.

Governor Inslee’s office said the first groups to receive the vaccine will be those most at risk, including healthcare workers, firefighters, paramedics, ambulance drivers and others who come into direct contact with COVID-19 patients. Inslee said he would get the vaccine himself once he is eligible. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it is 95 percent effective. 

Michele Roberts, acting Assistant Secretary of the Washington State Department of Health, said this first round of 62,000 doses is not enough. 

“It’s tight right now. 62,000 doses of vaccine is not enough for that whole 1A group, which is at least a half-million people,” Roberts said.

Roberts is optimistic, though. The DOH believes it will take two months to administer the two-dose vaccination to frontline workers, and that it could take several months to get it to the general population. 

By the end of of December, the state is expected to get a total of 220, doses. Roberts also expects the Moderna vaccine to be approved for distribution within two weeks. Pending approval, Washington would receive 180,000 doses of Moderna’s version before the New Year.

Pfizer’s vaccine offers some protection after the first dose, with nearly full protection after the second dose, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The information was made public before a meeting 10 days ago of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, or VRBPAC — an advisory group to the FDA that voted to grant emergency use of the vaccine to the general public.