COLUMBUS, Ohio — Pfizer expects its vaccine supply nationally will have increased by 40% from current levels in mid-February and expects the supply to double by late March, the company told Ohio officials.

Gov. Mike DeWine shared the projections during a news conference Thursday afternoon after a conversation with Pfizer officials. 

"They really gave us good news," DeWine said. "They said they will be able to up the amount of vaccine that is available for federal shipment by about 40% somewhere in the middle of February, so not too far off. We think that should mean that our numbers will increase — we hope — by that much as well, maybe that week or the next week."

State officials said Thursday this development offers hope to residents who have been struggling to make an appointment due to the limited supply of vaccinesso far. The pace of vaccine supply has lagged behind projections in Ohio, mirroring the situation nationwide. 

"We've talked a lot about the fact that we really do not have enough vaccine. We've got a lot more people that want vaccine every day than we have, and our hope is this will change," he said.

Ohio has been receiving about 73,000 Pfizer doses each week, DeWine said.

The governor said Moderna's vaccine supply has already increased and he expects the trends to continue. 

"Moderna doses have increased from 73,200 a few weeks ago to 105,600 for next week," DeWine said. "We hope that this is going to continue to get better each week as we move forward."

The governor said the state has been waiting for these increases, which have been anticipated for a while. 

"I know there's frustration. People can't get vaccines. We've always felt that they will expand as we go forward, so that news from Moderna, Pfizer — the inference certainly from Moderna was it's going to continue to expand as well — so that's very good news."