BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The first vaccinations against the new coronavirus are set to begin in Alabama as cases of the illness caused by the virus soar.
The state says three sites received shipments Monday, and Cullman Regional Medical Center says it plans to begin vaccinating workers on Tuesday.
Additional shipments are arriving as that happens, with nearly 41,000 doses expected in all in the state's initial round.
Officials say the first vaccinations are reserved for health care workers who are most at risk because of their jobs.
Almost 300,000 people in the state have contracted the virus, and COVID-19 has killed more than 4,100 people in Alabama.