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State veterans homes are next in line to receive the vaccine

Alabama’s four state veterans homes will receive the first round of COVID-19 vaccinations for approximately 468 residents and 850 staff members.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Employees and residents at the Floyd E. 'Tutt' Fann State Veterans Home in Huntsville will receive the COVID-19 vaccine on December 31.

They are one of the four state veterans homes receiving Pfizer vaccine doses. 

On December 29, the vaccine was administered to residents and staff at the Bill Nichols State Veterans Home in Alexander City.

Kent Davis, the commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs, compared getting the COVID vaccine to getting the flu shot.

He also says that the homes receiving these vaccines is a milestone event.

RELATED: Huntsville Hospital: High-risk population and nursing homes next for vaccination

"We have to practice social isolation as they come in, so they come in to separate stations, three at a time, with masks, and Walgreens personnel administer the vaccine to them. Then they wait, they hold them for 15 minutes, just for observation, to make sure there's no side effects or anything like that," said Davis.

RELATED: Floyd E. 'Tut' Fann, 3 other state veterans homes to receive COVID-19 vaccines

Residents and staff at the veteran homes are not required to get the vaccine but it is strongly encouraged. 

RELATED: More and more people are getting vaccinated, but life may look the same for a while

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