Local

Kemp meets with hospital administrations to discuss COVID-19 vaccine distribution

ATLANTA — Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna have both asked for emergency FDA approval for the COVID-19 vaccine here in the United States. While they have not gotten it yet, states are preparing for distribution.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp met with hospital CEOs Wednesday afternoon to discuss the plan here in Georgia. Channel 2 Action News was invited to listen to the roundtable discussion.

Kemp told the CEOs and administrators after the FDA meets Dec. 10 to potentially approve the Pfizer vaccine, it would be soon available for Georgians.

“We expect anytime within a few days following that meeting, we should start receiving the first shipments of the vaccine. So that is fast approaching,” Kemp said.

[SPECIAL SECTION: Coronavirus Pandemic in Georgia]

TRENDING STORIES:

On Tuesday, an advisory committee with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommended healthcare workers and nursing home seniors should be the first to get the vaccine. Kemp said those will be the first Georgians to get it.

“And the state intends to follow those guidelines and match prioritizations,” he said.

The governor didn’t give specifics on the vaccine distribution plan, but said he will get with the hospital administrators as soon as he has a better idea when it will be ready. In the meantime, he told the CEOS to keep pushing the CDC guidelines to try and control the virus.

“We cannot take our foot off the gas, just because we are going to have a vaccine in a couple of weeks in 30 days or so,” Kemp said.

Kemp said that just because a vaccine will be available soon, that’s no reason for people to think they can go back to past practices. He said it could take months to vaccinate people.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

First shipments of coronavirus vaccine could be delivered by Dec. 15 (NCD)


Most Read