VAFB to receive first round of trial COVID vaccines

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Vandenberg Air Force Base will be one of the first locations in the country that will receive a trial COVID-19 vaccine.

In a town hall virtual meeting on Friday, Colonel Anthony Mastalir, Commander of the 30th Space Wing announced that Vandenberg Air Force Base will be one of the first groups to receive the Pfizer trial COVID-19. Base officials said the vaccine could arrive in the next month.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination is getting close to the finish line, the pharmaceutical giant says. The new vaccine has had a 90 percent success rate, with over 40,000 participants in its study, Pfizer said on Monday.

Vandenberg is one of the first locations selected to receive the trial vaccine. It is unclear how many doses will be provided to the Air Force base, but officials said it could be as many as 10,000. These doses may also be delivered to the base in multiple shipments.

Health care professionals, essential military members and first responders are prioritized to receive the vaccine, the base said. The vaccines will be voluntary, base officials said.

Officials from the base said there are still many unknowns regarding the vaccine, including how long immunity will last after receiving the vaccine and how many people will need to be vaccinated to approach "herd immunity."

To watch the entire Vandenberg Air Force Base virtual town hall, click here.