Firefighters, Other Frontline Workers Get COVID-19 Vaccine As Phase 2 Begins

The Oklahoma City fire department is currently working to vaccinate its firefighters after receiving 500 doses of the Moderna vaccine.

This is part of phase two of the state health department's vaccine rollout plan.

Oklahoma City Fire Chief Richard Kelley says while the initial 500 doses will not cover every firefighter who wants a vaccine this is only the beginning.

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, there have been 29,725 vaccines given out.

With just 122,750 doses received, officials says they expect to have an additional 50,000 vaccines in the state by the end of the year.

Health leaders are working on getting the vaccine distributed as quickly as they can.

"Time is going to tell how quickly we can get the vaccine into individuals. The rate at which we vaccinate is dependent on several factors. One of the biggest ones is our access points," said Keith Reed, the Deputy Commissioner of Health.

The health department says they expect to have over 150 different sites this week to begin and continue distributing the vaccine to those on the priority list.

As some parts of the state move into phase two, there are still people in phase one who have not been vaccinated.