Approximately 10% of West Virginia’s population has now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
According to a statement released on Wednesday by Gov. Jim Justice’s office, that is “a rate so high, if West Virginia were its own country, it would rank as seventh-best of any nation in the world.”
“That’s not too bad for little old West Virginia,” Justice said. “Hats off to all the local health departments, all of our community health partners that have been phenomenal, the DHHR, our National Guard and all our people involved. You’ve done a whale of a job. I don’t know how in the world it could possibly be any better.”
To date, West Virginia has received 520,535 total doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, 452,363 of which have been administered for a current administration-rate of 86.9%. This far, 175,181 West Virginians have been fully vaccinated against the virus, while another 277,182 are awaiting their second-dose.
The governor’s comments came just mere hours after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced its support for an emergency-use authorization being granted to Johnson & Johnson for their single-dose COVID-19 vaccine.
“This vaccine looks very safe and it looks like it’s very effective,” said Dr. Clay Marsh, West Virginia’s Coronavirus Czar. “Particularly at reducing severe complications which include people being hospitalized, people going to the ICU, people going on a ventilator and also deaths. There have been no severe complications after the 28-day window and beyond, or any deaths in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine groups, which span people of many ages and also cover people from many countries. That’s good news.”
Marsh further stated, “Given the benefits of saving lives and reducing complications, we hope that the wisdom of the FDA and the CDC will allow us to add this to our current strategy. Focusing, as the governor says, on the elderly part of our population, the vulnerable part of our population. We believe this strategy is working. But, as the governor also says, it’s not time to become complacent.”
Justice went on to say that “West Virginia is ready for this vaccine when it becomes available.”
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