ROANOKE, Va. – Health officials are breathing a small sigh of relief as demand for coronavirus vaccinations increase.
After administering two million vaccines this week, more than 44% of the state population has now received one dose.
To make it more convenient for people, State Vaccine Coordinator Dr. Danny Avula said they will push vaccines to primary care providers in the next few weeks.
He says this move will also help tackle vaccine hesitancy.
“This past weekend was the first time that every part of the state we really saw demand peak and now that means we are pivoting all over Virginia in a different direction,” he said.
Avula adds they are discussing potential plans to offer vaccines at farmer’s markets and upcoming elections.
In about a month, children under the age of 16 could become eligible for the coronavirus vaccine.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says children between the ages of 12 and 16 could be eligible for Pfizer as early as mid-May.
With some distributions already underway at school, Virginia is also recruiting pediatricians to help with vaccine rollout.
Despite foreseeing some potentially hesitancy from parents, Avula said he thinks many teenagers are waiting for their turn especially if they are motivated by their peers.
However, Avula said since the vaccine is under emergency use, he does not believe schools can make it a requirement for students.