In an official statement from his office on Monday afternoon, Governor Evers announced that the Moderna vaccine to fight COVID-19 will be arriving within the state this week. Approximately 16,000 doses will be arriving in Wisconsin this week, with a planned total of 100,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine coming in the near future, per state health officials.
Unlike the vaccine manufactured by Pfizer/BioNTech, the vaccine from Moderna can be stored at normal refrigerated temperatures, making for a logistically easier distribution of the second vaccine. As of Friday, the Food and Drug Administration has authorized emergency use of the Moderna vaccine for adults ages 18 and older, while the Pfizer vaccine had been approved on Dec. 10 for those 16 and older.
The announcement comes just days after the governor had criticized the federal government’s rollout of vaccines in Wisconsin, citing on Friday that the state would only receive 35,100 of the promised doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which arrived in the state on Monday.
“Folks, this is exciting news. The COVID-19 vaccine is an important tool we need to battle this pandemic,” said Gov. Evers. via statement. “While we do not have control over how much vaccine the federal government allocates to our state, I can promise that we are doing everything we can to ensure that our distribution is fair and equitable.”
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In anticipation of the vaccine’s arrival in the state, Gov. Evers activate the federal government’s pharmacy distribution program for the COVID-19 vaccine. Much like the creation of testing sites this past summer, the program involves a partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with national pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens. The program also involves the on-site vaccination of long-term care facilities throughout the state, with a portion of the upcoming Moderna shipment being allotted to treat those in need. It is expected that those vaccinations will begin as early as Dec. 28.
For the latest statistics on COVID-19 in Wisconsin, please refer to Shepherd Express’ daily COVID-19 updates.
