Tens of thousands of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine arrived in South Dakota on Monday. Who will get the first shots? Frontline workers.

According to Dakota News Now, ED physicians, ICU nurses, and those working in COVID units will be given the vaccine. Both Avera Health and Sanford Health have received around 3,000 doses. Nursing home workers then residents will be next followed by first responders and high-risk individuals.

The COVID-19 vaccine is not just one shot and there are two different ones being administered. Sanford Health has the Pfizer vaccine while Avera Health received the Moderna vaccine.

What is the difference? Dakota News Now reports that storage comes into play as the Pfizer vaccine requires extreme cold while the Moderna vaccine can be stored in a refrigerator.

Back to the double inoculation. Dr. David Basel with Avera Health says, “After one dose of vaccine you’re about 50-60% protected.”  It’s really that second dose when you get the full protection of 90-95% plus, so it’s really important to go and get that second dose.”

On Tuesday, ABC News reported that the U.S. has surpassed 300-thousand deaths from coronavirus.

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