FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — On Tuesday, Governor Hutchinson addressed when Arkansas could receive its first batch of the COVID-19 vaccines. According to state leaders, the FDA is set to approve the Pfizer vaccine this week, and Arkansas could receive it within 24 hours of approval.
Those who will receive the vaccine first are healthcare workers, followed by long-term care facility residents and staff.
David Fortner, the pharmacy director for Mercy Hospital in Rogers, says they are they’re gearing up for the shipment and plan to administer the vaccine on-site at their hospital for their co-workers.
“We have all the storage we need in place. We have ultra-cold storage. We’ve got handling procedures and training for our staff as we look to receive and ultimately store and then admitted the vaccine, so at this point, it’s a lot of logistics planning training our coworkers. But we certainly feel prepared,” Fortner said.
Although hospitals in Arkansas like Mercy NWA are preparing for the COVID-19 vaccine to arrive, there will not be a sufficient amount for all health care workers to be vaccinated right away, which accounts for more than 218,000 Arkansans.
The 25 thousand doses would be the first dose of a two-dose regimen....with the second dose to be shipped later.
“The vaccine is a tool we’re going to have to continue to fight the pandemic, so I’m really encouraged by the work from the health department, the health care community, and others as we call come together and try to continue to wash hands, mask and integrate the vaccine. So we will start with our health care workers and go from there,” Fortner said.
According to state leaders, The first batch would be produced by Pfizer, whose vaccine will be considered for approval by the Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 10. And on Dec. 17, the FDA will meet to consider the approval of a vaccine by Moderna. Once it’s approved, Rachel Bunch, the executive director for Arkansas Healthcare Association, says it could be available in Arkansas shortly afterward.
“Long-term care residents and workers would receive the modern vaccine as that comes to the state, and we will get an allocation in the state that will go to those pharmacies working with them. And we have different plans in place, but we have to wait and see how many we get in the state first,” Bunch said.