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Army vet first to get vaccinated after Salisbury VA gets shipment

SALISBURY, N.C. — The Salisbury VA Medical Center received thousands of doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines Tuesday.

The VA is also vaccinating veterans at its long-term care facilities in addition to health care workers.

U.S. Army veteran Thomas Vaughn was the first to get the shot.

[Second patient at NC State Veterans Home in Salisbury dies from COVID-19]

The VA said the vaccine will provide an additional layer of protection to people in their long-term care facilities who have an increased risk of infection.

“We know the vaccine prevents people from getting severe infection, which is what we want to prevent,” said Dr. Charles deComarmond, associate chief of staff for medicine.

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Long-term care facilities statewide were the hardest hit by COVID-19.

They make up 40% of the state’s deaths related to COVID-19.

The long-term care facility at the VA hasn’t had any outbreaks or deaths connected to COVID-19.