State health leaders discuss vaccine distribution

States are drafting plans for who gets the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available this month

OKLAHOMA CITY — The first shipment of a coronavirus vaccine is expected in Oklahoma in about 10 days.

Healthcare workers will receive the first doses.

State health commissioner Dr. Lance Frye on Thursday announced the distribution plan, which follows a draft plan released by the health department in October.

Oklahoma is set to also get 10,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine at the end of December.

Frye said he expects a vaccine developed by Pfizer to receive emergency use approval on Dec. 11 and Oklahoma to receive 33,000 doses days later.

A required second dose is expected bout three weeks later.

Frye said he expects the vaccine to be available to the general public by spring 2021.

In the meantime, health leaders say it’s important to keep following CDC guidelines.