Researchers around the world continue to work on a viable COVID-19 vaccine, but only a few will get it once it’s available.

States are already making plans to distribute it once it’s available. Kentucky health officials say supplies of the vaccine will be limited and must be distributed in a phased approach.

Governor Andy Beshear said the federal government has provided a plan for how states should distribute the vaccine and noted that Kentucky’s plan closely follows those recommendations.

Under that plan, health care workers and first responses will receive the vaccine first. Then more Kentuckians will get the vaccine as more supplies become available.

Dr. Steven Stack, the commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Public Health, says distributing the vaccine to roughly 4.4 million Kentuckians will likely take a year to complete.

The state has sent its vaccine distribution plan to the CDC and, Wednesday, Dr. Stack and other members of the health community went over that plan with lawmakers.

Dr. Stack explained vaccines could be ready for distribution as early as December. He says the state has designed a plan to administer the vaccines in phases. Health care workers will get the vaccines first under phase 1. Nursing homes and Essential workers, like teachers and grocery clerks, fall under phase 2. Phase 3 includes young adults and children, and phase four targets the rest of the general public.

Stack said the vaccines must be stored under precise conditions limiting who can distribute them. He said the vaccines must be stored at -80 degrees Celsius and once opened are good for only six hours.

Due to the nature of the vaccines, Dr. Stack says hospitals and retail pharmacies will be the main distributors for the first few months. He also said the vaccines will likely be administered in two doses.

Officials say people who are vaccinated first will be monitored due to safety.

To see preliminary plans for Kentucky’s vaccine distribution process, you can visit kycovid19.ky.gov.