FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear announced Kentucky will receive the first round of coronavirus vaccines by mid-December, depending on FDA approval.
What You Need To Know
- Beshear announces Kentucky will receive first round of COVID-19 vaccines by mid-December
- Governor expects to receive roughly 38,000 doses of Pfizer's vaccine, Moderna's is expected to follow
- First 26,000 doses to be given to long-term care facility residents and staff
- Frontline healthcare workers next in line
On Monday, Beshear said he expects to receive 38,025 doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine. Moderna’s vaccine is expected to follow two weeks after Pfizer’s vaccine is approved.
Those doses include the initial shot and a booster shot to be given later.
The first 26,000 doses will be given to long-term care facility residents and staff, and about 12,000 frontline healthcare workers will be next in line to receive vaccines.
“Our goal is to quickly vaccinate the most vulnerable parts of our population,” the governor said.
Beshear said the good news about vaccines highlights why it’s important to follow restrictions and guidelines to keep people safe.
“If there are folks in long-term care who we get vaccinated starting this month, maybe we can vaccinate most all of long-term care by the end of January if shipments come in,” Beshear said. “But if we don’t do our part between now and then, there are a number of people in those facilities who won’t see the vaccine or get the benefit from it.”
Kentucky Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack said the state is only receiving about one-third of the vaccines officials originally expected, so tough decisions are ahead for who gets a vaccine during the first few months.
“We’re not out of the woods yet, and so in one of my calls with my fellow state health officials today, there’s a lot of worry the combination of cold weather, holiday gatherings, increased travel, a fatigued public who is not fully complying with the mask mandates and the social distancing; that the combination of these things leads to a real dark and gloomy place over the next couple months.”
Beshear said Kentucky is also participating in a trial run with the CDC and Pfizer to test the rollout of a vaccine.
Moderna is expected to provide another 76,700 vaccines around two weeks after Pfizer’s is rolled out.
Beshear also announced the application process to receive money from the $40 million fund set up to help bars and restaurants with the latest restrictions is now up and running. It can be found online.