Governor Ralph Northam and first lady Pamela Northam received their Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on March 15. Members of the Virginia National Guard administered the vaccines as part of the first deployment of mobile vaccination teams.
Governor Ralph Northam and First Lady Pamela Northam both received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine recently. Members of the Virginia National Guard administered the vaccinations as part of the first deployment of mobile vaccination teams starting this week.
“These vaccines are safe, effective, and our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor Northam. “Virginia continues to scale up our vaccination capacity to match the increased vaccine supply we are receiving from the federal government each week. Pam and I are thrilled to do our part by getting vaccinated, and I hope every Virginian will do the same when their turn comes.”
The Virginia National Guard has been mobilized since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to support the Commonwealth’s response efforts, including assisting with logistics and administering COVID-19 tests. Approximately 325 Virginia National Guard soldiers and airmen operating in two battalion task forces from multiple units are supporting the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the Virginia Department of Health at COVID-19 community vaccination sites across the Commonwealth. Five mobile vaccination teams will launch this week, consisting of Army and Air National Guard medics trained by the Virginia Department of Health. Each mobile team is expected to provide a capacity of up to 250 vaccinations per day in support of localities and will primarily serve hard-to-reach populations
Virginia is now administering nearly 53,000 doses per day on average, with more than 2.7 million doses given to date. Almost 1.8 million Virginians – 21 percent of the population – have received at least one dose, and more than one million Virginians are fully vaccinated.
The Commonwealth continues to expand its vaccination capabilities to match the increasing federal vaccine supply. A community vaccination clinic recently opened in Danville as part of a partnership between the state, localities, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Two additional community vaccination clinics will begin this week in Petersburg and Portsmouth, and one in Prince William is scheduled to open next week. These clinics, like most vaccination clinics at this stage of the vaccination effort, are appointment-only.
Virginia expects to meet President Biden’s goal of expanding eligibility to all adults by May 1. Executive Mansion staff and those who travel with Governor Northam also have received vaccinations.
Virginians are strongly encouraged to make sure they are pre-registered at vaccinate.virginia.gov, or by calling 877-VAX-IN-VA, to ensure that the Virginia Department of Health has all the relevant information to reach out when individuals are eligible to schedule vaccination appointments.
- Submitted by Alena Yasmosky, Office of the Governor