By Associated Press - Friday, March 12, 2021

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia officials said Friday that the state expects to meet or possibly exceed President Joe Biden’s commitment to make all adults eligible for COVID-19 vaccines by May 1.

“As we look at the supply and the pace and the demand here in Virginia we really think we will easily meet that May 1 marker and potentially even outpace it by a couple of weeks,” state vaccine coordinator Dr. Danny Avula said in a briefing with reporters.

Avula also said the May 1 goal won’t require the state to rethink its distribution strategy.

“It hasn’t changed anything for us,” he said.

The state has administered over 2.5 million doses of vaccine, with 19.5% of the population having received at least one dose, according to health department data.

All parts of the state have opened up vaccine eligibility to a second phase of people that includes frontline essential workers and people 16-64 with an underlying medical condition.

Avula said he thinks that second phase, referred to as 1b, can be completed by mid-April, or sooner in some parts of the state. Health districts would then move into a third phase of eligibility that will cover other essential workers at their own pace, he said.

Jeffrey Zients, the White House’s coronavirus coordinator, told reporters Friday that May 1 is an “absolute deadline” and that the nation will have enough supply between the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines to give shots to all adults by the end of that month.

Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.

Click to Read More and View Comments

Click to Hide