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HARRISBURG – The second FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine will make its way to Pennsylvania hospitals this week. Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine announced during a press briefing Monday the state will be receiving 198,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine.
Dr. Levine says the Moderna will be a more widespread distribution since it doesn’t have to be kept in the extreme cold as the Pfizer vaccine, “We want to be able to have the Moderna vaccine go to, for instance, rural hospitals, that don’t have the refrigeration capability. And so, its going to have widespread distribution over the course of the week.”
In addition, Dr. Levine says 30,225 more doses of the Pfizer vaccine are heading to the state this week, and pharmacies will start distributing that vaccine next week to some nursing homes, “Beginning next week, the federal partnership with CVS and Walgreens will start on-site COVID-19 vaccination services for residents and staff of skilled nursing facilities across the state.”
So far, Dr. Levine says 17,700 health care workers have received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
