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Athens-Limestone Hospital anticipates vaccine

Athens-Limestone Hospital Internist Dr. Matthew Hanserd and health care workers there will be the first of many to get vaccinated. He says he will get the vaccine.

ATHENS, Ala. — Our healthcare workers on the frontlines will be the first to get vaccinated. One doctor out of Limestone County shares what he and his staff could look forward to.

Internal Medicine Physician and Hospitalist, Dr. Matthew Hanserd with Athens-Limestone Hospital said staff are anticipating the arrival of the vaccine.

"I will say we do have storage here on site for the vaccine, which we're one of the smallest hospitals in the state of Alabama," said Hanserd.

Hanserd and health care workers there will be the first of many to get vaccinated. He says he will get the vaccine once it's available.

"I actually don't want to spread coronavirus to my patients. Right? So, if I caught coronavirus from somebody and then I was asymptomatic and then spread it to the other people who work with me, or to my patients I put them at higher risk," said Hanserd.

He says his older co-workers, ages 65 and up, want to take it. However, Hanserd said the younger co-workers are hesitant.

"Younger co-workers, you have to talk to them about it, and it's going to be a major public health initiative on the backside of this, sitting down and explaining to people what vaccine risk really is," said Hanserd.

Hanserd says some of the fears include injections of genes incorporated into one's DNA. But he says that's not the case. "It would make this protein that's on the outside of the coronavirus itself, and then you could generate a robust immune response so you don't catch the virus," said Hanserd.

Hanserd said to weigh the risk of becoming hospitalized from catching the virus, or receiving the vaccine.

"Those things can be pretty major health issues going forward. The question is would you rather have those or would you rather get the vaccine where the risk is much lower," said Hanserd.

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