Local fire department receives first doses of COVID-19 vaccine

MOUNT HOPE, WV (WOAY) – Mount Hope firefighters and EMS personnel receive their first doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

The Fayette County Health Department administered the vaccines this morning to multiple fire department members. The first responders say getting the vaccine is crucial since they work with people that may be sick. They go on to say they’re excited to not only protect themselves, but those around them as well.

“For everybody who’s taking this vaccine and everyone who has been a part of this entire process… it’s exciting and scary at the same time,” said EMS captain Raisa Wheeler. “We have to trust the science and hope that what we’re doing by taking this vaccine is going to help not only protect ourselves but our community and our family.”

The fire department received the Pfizer vaccine. Their second doses are scheduled to be administered January 7.

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Kassie Simmons
Kassie Simmons joined the team in January 2019 as a weekend journalist. She graduated from Virginia Tech in just two and a half years with a BA in multimedia journalism. During her short time at Virginia Tech, she served as the editor for the university’s chapter of The Tab. Kassie was named the top reporter for The Tab at Virginia Tech on multiple occasions and made the list for the top 30 reporters for The Tab in the U.S. She also studied theater performance and minored in creative writing. Before coming to WOAY, Kassie interned at WSLS in Roanoke and the Tidewater Review in her hometown of West Point, Va. She has loved following breaking news since her childhood and has a passion for delivering the stories people care most about. Kassie is excited to be working in Southern West Virginia and looks forward to all the adventures ahead of her. You can follow her on Twitter at @KassieLSimmons and like her page on Facebook. If you have a story you think she should check out, send her an email at ksimmons@woay.com.