Are You Confident In A COVID-19 Vaccine? Take VA Patch's Survey

VIRGINIA — Since spring lockdowns spurred by the coronavirus pandemic, Virginians have waited for production of vaccines that would prevent the fatal respiratory disease COVID-19. Now, that medical companies are ready to crank up production of vaccines, the politicization of the virus — as well as a strengthening anti-vaccine movement — mean not everyone is clamoring for it.

The first COVID-19 virus vaccine from Pfizer was just approved in the United Kingdom and is up for emergency use authorization in the United States next week. Cambridge-based Moderna's vaccine is hoping for the same the following week.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses to be effective. Both vaccines had large-scale tests with thousands of volunteers that showed 95 percent effectiveness, Gov. Ralph Northam said Wednesday at a press conference.

There are other promising vaccines being produced, including one being manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, that require only a single dose.

With these developments in mind, we want to know what our readers in Virginia think of the coming vaccine options. Will you seek to be vaccinated as soon as possible? Do you believe the scientists taking the lead publicly to encourage vaccinations?

Patch has an anonymous survey below which will be only used to show collective results. It will be open through 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5. A results story will be posted on Monday, Dec. 7.

Northam said at the news conference Wednesday that an estimated 70,000 doses would be in the first wave of Pfizer vaccines sent to Virginia. Should the FDA give approval to Pfizer's vaccine, doses would go to states immediately, which Northam expected would happen as early as mid-December.

On Friday, Virginia health officials said they are preparing to receive an estimated 480,000 doses of vaccine from two manufacturers — Pfizer and Moderna — by the end of the month. This is a considerably larger amount than the estimated 70,000 doses of a coronavirus vaccine Northam previously said the state would be receiving from Pfizer alone.

The larger number of doses will ensure that nearly all of the 480,000 individuals in Virginia's two top-priority groups — health care personnel and long-term care facility residents — will be taken care of in the first round of vaccinations. The Virginia Department of Health estimates there are up to 500,000 individuals in these two groups.

The governor said Virginia will be following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention policy for distribution of vaccines to priority groups. On Tuesday, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to make the first priority group health care workers and long-term care facility residents.

"Health care workers take care of the rest of us, and nursing home residents are some of our most vulnerable people," Northam said.

According to State Epidemiologist Dr. Lilian Peake, the state is still working on the estimated number for those two groups. Right now, the estimated people in those groups in Virginia are 500,000. By the end of the week, Peake expects Virginia will have a process to determine dividing those groups into smaller groups to account for the limited first wave of doses.

Subsequent phases could prioritize essential workers, people with chronic health conditions and individuals 65 or older. The Virginia Department of Health has been preparing vaccine distribution plans for months, working with hospitals, long term care facilities and community providers.

Northam is hopeful that everyone in Virginia can be vaccinated by late spring or early summer, depending on supply. The governor and his family plan to get vaccinated once it is their turn, and he encouraged other Virginians to do the same. But he said that residents will need to continue wearing masks in public, washing hands, staying away from crowds and large groups, and trying to socialize outside when possible.