TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – We are learning more about the new coronavirus vaccine and how many doses will be coming to Florida, and who will be in line first to receive them.

Gov. Ron DeSantis took to Twitter on Thursday night to inform people of his plan to distribute the first shipment.

The governor said Florida will get 179,400 thousand doses of the new Pfizer vaccine. The first doses will go to health care workers in high risk/high contact environments. The first batch will be split up so that 97,500 vaccines go to Florida pilot hospitals like Tampa General Hospital.

“Our top priority is residents of long term care facilities. They are at the greatest risk and this vaccine could have a positive impact, not just protecting them from covid, but allowing them to return to a more normal life,” said DeSantis.

CVS and Walgreens will get 60,450 doses to help vaccinate people in those facilities. The other 21,450 will go to the Florida Department of Health, the Division of Emergency Management, and to Florida National Guard strike teams, which will also them get vaccinated.

“We hope to have more good news about additional doses of both the Pfizer and the newly approved Moderna vaccine next week and of course we’re looking forward to clinical trials concluding for Johnson & Johnson’s vaccines which is a one dose vaccine and doesn’t require any special storage,” said DeSantis.

Next in line to get the vaccine would be elderly residents and those suffering through multiple diseases or medical conditions who are more susceptible to the virus.

The governor says he will continue to have updates in the following days as we hear of more companies getting approval from the FDA for their vaccines.

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