CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State Adjutant General Jim Hoyer says Gov. Jim Justice has instructed him to ramp up efforts to prepare for the possible arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine in the months ahead.
Hoyer said the state has officially formalized a task force from the National Guard and state Bureau of Public Health.
The task force will need to answer several questions in the coming weeks, Hoyer said.
“Will the supplies potentially needed be supplied by the federal government? What requirements will the state have to secure those? We’ll need locations for distribution along with storage requirements,” Hoyer said.
Many of the vaccines require temperature control, Hoyer said.
“We’ve already placed an order for some equipment. We’ll be looking at using National Guard facilities that have security and back up generators to be able to spread the vaccine across the state,” Hoyer said.
The task force will also determine what kind of providers will be needed.
“We’ll see which hospitals, pharmacies and other entities that may be available to participate with the distribution,” Hoyer said.
No one knows exactly when a vaccine may be available. Predictions have ranged from October to the end of the year into some time in 2021.