PIERRE, S.D. – During their press briefing Wednesday, the South Dakota Department of Health offered optimism on a COVID-19 vaccine coming to the state in mid-November – even though drug makers of the three top vaccines currently in stage 3 have said they don’t expect releasing it until at least December.
Initially, Health Secretary Kim Malsom-Rysdon indicated the vaccine would be here mid-November, but clarified the federal government was indicating the vaccine could be ready when questioned about the status of the vaccine from the drug manufacturers.
“Again, the feds have informed us to be ready for the vaccine as of november 15, so as soon as it is available, we will be ready to vaccinate. That is what our federal partners are asking us to do. And I am very confident we will be ready when it becomes available and if it comes as early as November 15th, we’ll be ready to roll that out. If it comes later, we’ll be ready then too.”
When they do get the vaccine, Malsom-Rysdon says they will begin rolling it out.
“We do expect to get weekly allocations of vaccine and so, again, with manufacturing, we may see some differences and have to tweek allocations, but with our partnership we have to get this out, I’m positive we’ll be effective even as those volumes fluctuate.”
Malsom-Rysdon says the vaccine will be given in three phases – with the first phase going out to health care providers and first responders.
The second phase would include those most at risk and the third phase would include the general population.
