Virginia is preparing for its first supply of COVID-19 vaccine to arrive in the next week or so, with 480,000 doses now expected with the first wave.

And when the vaccine does arrive, state health officials stress that equitable access for African-Americans, Latinos and other high-risk groups will be a priority for who will get it first.

This information came from state officials during a webinar Monday evening hosted by Celebrate Healthcare, in which officials answered community concerns and debunked myths and assumptions about the vaccine.

Virginia’s vaccine plan, announced by Gov. Ralph S. Northam last week, prioritizes front line health care workers first, followed by staff and residents at long-term care facilities, critical workers and the medically vulnerable with underlying health conditions before expanding to other groups and finally the general public.

And, according to the webinar speakers, which included Gov. Northam, State Health Commissioner Dr. M. Norman Oliver, state Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Janice Underwood and 3rd District Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, special care is being taken to address the unequal effect COVID-19 has had on African-Americans and Latinos when it comes to the vaccine.

“We want to make sure that we take care of, even within those (priority) sectors, those who are most vulnerable,” Dr. Oliver said. “So among health care workers, among the medically vulnerable, populations like the African-American community are at even higher risk in each one of those sections, so we want to make sure that we do this with an (equitable) focus.”

Last Friday, state Attorney General Mark R. Herring joined a coalition of 13 state attorneys general in advocating for funding and coverage protections from Congress to ensure vaccine access comes at no cost for those on Medicare, Medicaid or for the uninsured.

“It is so important that every single Virginian and every single American has access to a COVID-19 vaccine once it becomes available,” Mr. Herring stated. “Unfortunately, we have seen this virus disproportionately devastate Black, Brown and lower-income communities, and we must make sure these individuals are able to get these potentially life-saving vaccines.”

Virginia’s vaccine plan is reliant on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s authorization of emergency use of the vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna, both of which require two doses for full inoculation. That decision from the FDA is set to come this month, with Virginia’s first shipment expected to include more than 72,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine in mid-December, according to state Health Department officials.

Dr. Oliver said Monday that initial doses will be distributed directly to 25 hospitals around the state that are equipped to handle the ultracold storage temperature needed for the vaccine. The hospitals will provide vaccinations to health care workers, with personnel who provide direct care to COVID-19 patients as a key focus. Later doses will be split between health care staff and long-term care facilities, officials said.

Dr. Oliver noted that federal officials have arrangements with CVS and Walgreens to send teams to nursing homes to provide the vaccine.

State officials estimated 500,000 people will be vaccinated by the end of December.

Asked during the webinar about potential side effects, state officials said they so far have been limited to mild, flu-like symptoms, muscle aches and a low-grade fever.

Other questions put to officials on the webinar were how groups like schoolteachers, veterans, inmates and the homeless would be prioritized under the state’s plan. Officials said these kinds of assessments are being handled by the state’s COVID-19 vaccine advisory and health equity workgroups.

Health officials locally and nationwide are expecting a long distribution and vaccination period, with Dr. Oliver speculating that Virginia wouldn’t be fully vaccinated until the summer of 2021.

Officials stressed that transparency and communication will be a key in their interactions with the public about the vaccine. The state health department is partnering with various groups for an education campaign on the COVID-19 vaccine. This includes six, online community conversations about the vaccine through Thursday, Dec. 17, each focused on a specific demographic. A full listing of the online events and registration are available at https://redcap.link/qs2vye05.

“We ask that you come with questions,” Dr. Underwood said. “Be ready to push us and help us learn. We want to learn and we also want to inform the community that the vaccine is safe and that all the precautions have been taken.”