LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A new program is removing barriers to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Biden Administration announced it is rolling out the first phase of a federal program that will allow select pharmacies to offer the shot.

And on Tuesday, during the virtual Louisville COVID-19 briefing, the news traveled fast, as questions poured in about the development.

“I think they are looking at mid-February or March for that, but do not have details yet. Currently, supplies are very limited, and the state is keeping those at just four sites here locally, but there is the possibility of a federal direct shipment later this month," Chief Health Strategist Dr. Sarah Moyer said.

Other doctors also took time to weigh in.

“If you look at every year at what we do every yeararound flu vaccines, we give between two and three million vaccines a day throughthis country. We do it by having a lot of vaccines and disseminating it to a lot of locations. To really make an impact on what we are trying to do, that’s the hurdle we are going to have to overcome in the future and really get that out and get that as part of our vaccination plan, not just here locally, but across the country," Dr. Jason Smith, chief medical officer at UofL Health, said.

Louisville, like most cities, isn’t out of the red yet when it comes to COVID-19, but progress is being made. 

Mayor Greg Fischer shared some promising numbers about what’s taking place at Broadbent Arena, LouVax, and other sites around the city.

“At LouVax, we are now on our fifth week of distributing doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Overall, we’ve vaccinated nearly 17,000 people just at LouVax. Obviously, a lot more at our hospital system and our long-term care facilities as well," Fischer said.

Finally, in the coming weeks, residents should look for an online portal to sign up for vaccinations at LouVax, which coordinators hope will help make things more efficient in the months ahead.