First vaccines begin arriving this week

The state’s initial shipment of COVID-19 vaccines was scheduled to arrive this week. Those who will receive the first doses of the vaccine are those being exposed on an almost daily basis–front line health workers.
Some 25,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine were set to arrive as early as Sunday. The two-dose vaccine is enough for 50,000 shots.
The first 25,000 getting the initial first doze will get their second dose three weeks later.
More of the Pfizer made vaccines should be arriving at state hospitals the following week.
Another of the vaccines, the ones manufactured by Moderna, will likely begin arriving in three weeks.
The first round of vaccines being received this week are targeted toward health workers, in particular those who are taking care of COVID-19 patients.
When that initial 25,000 receive their first vaccines with another 25,000 held in reserve for those workers to receive three weeks later.
The next target group that will be the first recipients of the second round of vaccines will be residents of nursing homes and other long-term health care facilities That group may begin getting the vaccine next week.
Since some state citizens have expressed concern about taking the vaccines, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs and State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers are to be the first Mississippians to receive the first two shots, during a live news conference.
A study of the Pfizer vaccine shows a 95% success rate in preventing persons from getting the disease, based on a case study of 44,000 who have received the vaccine.
Dobbs encourages citizens to get vaccinated when the shots become available to the public.
In the meantime, Dobbs and other health officials say state residents need to continue wearing masks–even if your county is not one covered under the governor’s latest mandate. Dobbs has continually said that wearing masks, social distancing and limiting large gatherings of people are some of the most successful actions people can take to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Avoiding any nonessential social gathering will help the state get a lid on the pandemic, Dobbs said.
State health officials say studies of the Pfizer vaccine show no significant side effects or deaths. There have been cases of inflammation, fatigue, chills, body aches and fever–all for a brief period, and not outside the realm of what officials say they would expect.
By allowing the vaccine to be distributed, coupled with a new push for people to socially separate and avoid gatherings outside the immediate family, officials hope to reverse the upward tilt that began to climb just after Thanksgiving.