The first patient to receive the COVID-19 vaccination at Truman Veteransâ Hospital on Tuesday was a 99-year-old World War II veteran.
Alvin âBobâ River lives in Montgomery City and will turn 100 years old on Christmas Day, according to Jeffrey Hoelscher, a hospital spokesperson.
Truman Veteransâ Hospital is one of an initial group of 37 VA medical centers across the country that began receiving and administering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine this week, Hoelscher said.
The initial sites were chosen for their ability to vaccinate large numbers of people and store the vaccine at extremely cold temperatures, he said.
MU Health Care will begin administering vaccines to hospital personnel Wednesday, and Boone Hospital Center will begin its vaccination program Thursday.