DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Area hospitals are preparing for approval for the COVID-19 vaccine ahead of final approval from the FDA. The initial shipment will be for the first round of vaccines for hospital healthcare workers. 

Decatur Memorial Hospital expects to receive 495 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, Memorial Health System leaders said. That number had not changed in a Dec. 14 evening update from MHS. 

The full breakdown of first shipment Pfizer vaccines expected at MHS hospitals is as follows. The spokesperson noted these numbers, along with the expected timing of first shipment arrival during the week of Dec. 14, are subject to change.

  • Memorial Medical Center: 350
  • Decatur Memorial Hospital: 495
  • Passavant Area Hospital: 440
  • Taylorville Memorial Hospital: 50
  • Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital: 0

"Our healthcare colleagues are a top priority for vaccination," an MHS statement said from Dec. 14 said. "The health system has created a process for prioritizing vaccination based on level of workplace exposure to patients with COVID-19 and infectious materials. As vaccine supplies become available in each county, we will contact colleagues within each prioritized group, or 'tier,'

"Memorial Health System will follow requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and county health departments to determine who should be vaccinated first."

Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) said HSHS St. Mary's Hospital in Decatur expects to receive 490 doses of the vaccine. This hospital is still waiting on a timeline of arrival. 

WAND News learned Sarah Bush Lincoln in Mattoon expects to get 475 vaccines in its shipment. They told the station they believe their shipment will come Monday. 

Iroquois Memorial Hospital in Watseka tells WAND News they are expecting vaccines on Monday but did not have a number of doses expected. 

HSHS Good Shepherd in Shelbyville expects to receive doses but did not have a number as of Friday. 

Pana Community Hospital is getting 50 doses of the vaccine. 

The shipments will help vaccinate health care workers if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration follows the guidance of its advisory committee, which voted in favor of recommending emergency use authorization of the Pfizer vaccine in the United States. The FDA has historically followed committee guidance. 

As decided by the Illinois Department of Public Health, the first shipments will go to these workers in the 50 state counties with the highest death rate per capita. This includes Macon, Cass, Morgan, Shelby, Coles, Christian and Iroquois counties.Â