Magnolia Regional Medical Center personnel received Wednesday the first 50-person batch of COVID-19 vaccine, hours before Gov. Asa Hutchinson pronounced the stateâs most grim day since he declared a public health emergency on March 11.
MRMC spokeswoman Karen Weido said the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. It was delivered by Michael Butler, pharmacist and owner of Village Health Mart in Hot Springs Village.
Dr. Fred Murphy, the MRMC hospitalist who is also the Columbia County Health Officer, received the first dose, followed by MRMC Chief Executive Officer Rex Jones.
Front-line staff who have elected to receive the vaccine will get the remaining doses by Friday. They will receive a required second dose in 21 days.