By Jared S. Hopkins

More U.S. hospitals on Tuesday began receiving shipments of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, with doctors and nurses being inoculated for the first time.

Pfizer and logistics companies continued distribution of its two-dose vaccine, as they worked to meet the government's goal of distributing millions of doses to 636 sites across the country by Wednesday. About 2.9 million doses are set to be delivered by the end of the weekend to more than 1,000 locations.

The first vaccine in New Jersey was given to Maritza Beniquez, an emergency department nurse, at University Hospital's Vaccine Clinic at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, according to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy's office. Six acute care hospitals are set to receive the state's initial federally determined 76,050 doses of the vaccine this week.

A second vaccine, from Moderna Inc., could be authorized this week and shipped by the weekend. The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine is "highly effective" after conducting an analysis of the company's trial data.

The findings from the FDA, along with a companion analysis from the company, will go before an independent panel Thursday. The vaccine uses a similar gene-based technology as Pfizer's vaccine.

Public-health officials and health authorities have been counting on a vaccine's arrival to help bring an end to the deadly pandemic, as its death toll surpassed 300,000 in the U.S. on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University. The average number of daily deaths over a seven-day period has grown from 824 on Nov. 1 to over 2,400 as of Sunday, prompting new restrictions by many states in an attempt to slow the spread.

Pfizer shipped vaccine vials out Sunday, and hospitals and health departments across the country from Alaska to Michigan and Texas to Florida began receiving them early Monday.

Some began injecting patients immediately, while others needed some time for logistics such as dispersing the vials and training staff.

With limited supplies, hospitals are having to devise rationing methods, navigating ethical, legal and practical challenges of coordinating a mass vaccination campaign among employees as shots become available.

Pfizer has said 25 million doses will be available in the U.S. by the end of the month.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said at a Monday press briefing that the federal government was withholding some doses of the Pfizer vaccine to ensure there was enough supply to make sure people get their second shot. He also said supply will depend on Pfizer.

Medical staff have been advised to monitor patients who receive the vaccine for at least 15 minutes to make sure they don't have adverse reactions. Two people who received the Pfizer vaccine in the U.K. last week had severe allergic reactions. The additional time required for monitoring and some logistical hiccups have slowed the vaccine rollout in that country.

Federal officials expect about 100 million Americans to be immunized against Covid-19 by February or March. The general public could be inoculated in the spring or summer.

The FDA authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Friday last week, citing its 95% effectiveness at preventing symptomatic Covid-19 in a large clinical trial. On Saturday, an advisory committee to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to recommend that the vaccine be used for people 16 years and older.

Long-term care facilities for the elderly are scheduled to begin receiving vaccinations next week through a federal partnership with drugstore chains CVS Health Corp. and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. But a few staffers and residents around the country are getting their shots this week.

Write to Jared S. Hopkins at jared.hopkins@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

12-15-20 1122ET