'Optimistic' turn against COVID-19 in WV is most vaccinations administered by mid-March

Justice and members of his COVID-19 task force indicated that doses of the Pfizer vaccine should begin arriving in the state in the middle of this month, with the Moderna vaccine to begin arriving about two weeks later.

At full capacity, the state will receive between 19,000 and 22,000 doses of the two vaccines each week. Both vaccines require two doses, 21 to 28 days apart, for maximum effectiveness.

First priority for vaccinations will be health care workers, nursing home staff and residents, first responders and public health officials, Justice said. That’s roughly 100,000 people, or 200,000 doses.

After that, the governor said people with high risk factors because of health or age, along with teachers, will be next on the priority list.

When the vaccines roll out to the general public, the plan is to have at least 250 administration sites statewide.

“This is really an incredibly optimistic turn for the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Clay Marsh, vice president for health sciences at West Virginia University and state COVID-19 czar.

During the briefing, Marsh offered a detailed explanation for why it will be impossible to contract COVID-19 from the vaccinations. He said that neither vaccine is made from the virus itself, but both use a man-made genetic sequence of the virus’ spike protein. By mimicking the coronavirus’ spike protein, Marsh said, the vaccine spurs the body to produce antibodies to kill the virus.

“There’s no way we can be infected by the protein,” Marsh said.

Justice on Friday also addressed a rumor that the vaccines contain microchips that will allow world governments to track recipients.

“There’s no tracking,” the governor said. “There’s no conspiracy over these vaccines.”

To allay fears or concerns, Justice said the state will undertake a major educational campaign to encourage people to be vaccinated.

“We’re going to do a significant campaign, and it’s not going to be a sales campaign,” he said. “We’re not going to try to sell the West Virginia people anything, they’re too smart for that. We’re going to educate.”

In the meantime, Justice said, West Virginians need to remain vigilant, particularly as COVID-19 cases spike to record levels.

“We’re going to have to wear a mask, wash our hands and social distance for a few more months,” the governor said.

However, for a second time this week, Justice downplayed the need to order additional measures to control the spread of the virus, saying he doesn’t think closing bars or indoor dining at restaurants would be effective.

“We could do something symbolic, just because somebody else is doing it,” the governor said, in a dismissive reference to restrictions imposed in other states, including neighboring Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.

As recently as Monday, Justice said he was considering more stringent measures to address the surge in state COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths, including possibly ordering bars in counties bordering Ohio and Pennsylvania to close early to coincide with early closing orders in those states.

However, at briefings Wednesday and Friday, the governor said he believes such selective measures would simply drive people into the next closest “open” county.

“Somebody tell me, pray tell, how that’s going to make a significant impact?” Justice said.

On Friday, the number of new COVID-19 cases in West Virginia topped 1,000 for a second straight day, bringing the total number of cases to 52,172, including 17,716 active cases. Also Friday, a record 632 people in the state were hospitalized with COVID-19, with 169 in intensive care units.

Those numbers are expected to rise as the state begins to feel the effect of Thanksgiving holiday travel and gatherings, Marsh said.

“The next two to three weeks is going to be very challenging for many parts of our country,” Marsh said. He added that officials with hospitals around the state remain confident they will have adequate capacity to handle the increased demand.

Also at Friday’s briefing:

• Justice continued to stop short of recognizing Joe Biden as the president-elect. Asked if he endorses Biden’s plan to ask Americans to wear masks for the first 100 days of his administration, Justice said, “I guess there’s still some question whether that’s going to be a reality. It surely looks like it is.”
• The governor said he is willing to call the Legislature into special session, if necessary, to appropriate pandemic relief funds in the event Congress fails to pass another stimulus package. He said rumors of a special session beginning Dec. 10 are not true.
• Justice offered a prayer and tribute for Charleston Police Officer Cassie Johnson, who died Thursday afternoon after being wounded in the line of duty on Tuesday.