VDH reporting slow roll out of COVID-19 vaccine shots due to reporting issue

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Virginia’s Department of Health is still reporting only about 20% of the COVID-19 stockpile in the commonwealth is in the arms of those who need.

“This is the most extensive public vaccination campaign in modern history, and every state in the country is working through logistical challenges. Virginia’s main hiccups right now are around data reporting -- our health care personnel have been 100% focused on getting shots in arms, but it’s taking a moment for reporting to catch up and for different computer systems to feed seamlessly into the Commonwealth’s central immunization data portal. In addition to reporting lags, Virginia has allocated a large percentage of our doses to the federal government’s pharmacy-LTCF partnership, which just began administering shots. We expect a significant increase in administered doses over the next week, and the Governor will be highlighting additional steps at his press conference on Wednesday,” said Alena Yarmosky, Northam’s Press Secretary.

“What we’re seeing here in the commonwealth is what people are seeing all across the country,” said Mayor Levay Stoney, Richmond.

When asked about the vaccine rollout in Virginia following an event Monday in Richmond, Mayor Stoney said people will need to have patience as the process improves.

“Our focus here in Richmond is we want to vaccinate the vaccinators first. And then get it into the arms of those who are living in congregate care, those who are elderly and who are at-risk. But then it’s my hope that we can start rolling this out to the general population as well,” said Mayor Stoney.

VDH is anticipating shipments of about 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine this week. Half from Pfizer and the other half from Moderna.

Last week, more than 72,000 second doses of Pfizer’s shot arrived in the commonwealth. Both vaccines approved in the United States require a booster shot a few weeks later. VCU Health will administer those second round of doses starting Wednesday.

“If we want to return to a just a monocle of normalcy we need to get a shot in the arms in as many people as possible, particularly in those communities who have been marginalized during, in health care and the medical world in the past,” said Mayor Stoney.

The state is expected to finalize the next chapter in all this by the end of this week. Group 1B should include essential workers and Group 1C should cover high-risk adults.

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