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Leon County Set To Receive 2,500 Doses Of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine

Moderna, Inc. headquarters is seen, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, in Cambridge, Mass. The Food and Drug Administration said that a second potential COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Moderna, appears safe and highly effective, bringing it to the cusp of U.S. authorization. A panel of outside experts is expected to vote to recommend the formula on Thursday, with the FDA's green light coming soon thereafter. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Elise Amendola/AP
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AP
Moderna, Inc. headquarters is seen, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, in Cambridge, Mass. The Food and Drug Administration said that a second potential COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Moderna, appears safe and highly effective, bringing it to the cusp of U.S. authorization. A panel of outside experts is expected to vote to recommend the formula on Thursday, with the FDA's green light coming soon thereafter. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Leon County’s health department is set to receive thousands of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the company Moderna. Florida’s governor anticipates the Moderna vaccine arriving in the state next week.

On Tuesday, The Florida Department of Health in Leon County shared the news: The county will be one of several in Florida participating in a pilot program to inoculate people against COVID-19.

The health department says it anticipates receiving 2,500 doses of the vaccine as early as next week. Staff and residents of skilled nursing facilities will be first in line to get those shots.

Florida began vaccinating people with the company Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine this week. The Moderna vaccine will be the first immunization to arrive in Leon.

Governor Ron DeSantis says he anticipates the feds will give it emergency use authorization by the week’s end.

“Thursday we anticipate a recommendation for the Moderna vaccine, and I think you’ll get an EUA issued by Friday night. I spoke with the FDA Commissioner this weekend – that was basically what they did for Pfizer, so I think the timetable will be similar,” DeSantis said during a press conference Tuesday.

DeSantis says the state will get about 370,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine initially. The federal Food and Drug Administration has evaluated the Moderna vaccine, which requires two doses, as 94% effective.

Ryan Dailey is a reporter/producer for WFSU/Florida Public Radio. After graduating from Florida State University, Ryan went into print journalism working for the Tallahassee Democrat for five years. At the Democrat, he worked as a copy editor, general assignment and K-12 education reporter.