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'The best Christmas gift ever': Coliseum Medical Centers begins vaccinating staff with COVID-19 vaccine

They received their shipment of the Moderna vaccine on Wednesday and have already vaccinated about 200 employees

Christmas came early for about 200 doctors and nurses at Coliseum Medical Centers in the form of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The hospital received their first shipment of Moderna's vaccine on Wednesday and started vaccinating people early Thursday morning.

ICU Director Jody Dykes got to give his wife, Clinical Educator Christi Dykes, her Christmas present.

A COVID-19 vaccine.

"To be able to do that for her was nice knowing that not only she got it and she's hopefully going to have good immunity going forward, but I was able to help give her that," Jody said.

The couple has been waiting for this day for months. Not just for themselves, but for their son.

"We have a significantly handicapped son at home who, if he caught it, might not live through it," Christi said.

Chief Medical Officer Doctor Corbi Milligan says it's a relief to have the Moderna vaccine in their hands.

"We received an email from the Department of Health the day before yesterday that the vaccine would arrive and we were literally calling every few minutes saying 'is someone standing on the dock waiting for the vaccine to arrive?'"

The North Central Health District also announced on Wednesday that they received shipments of the Moderna vaccine.

Fairview Park Hospital and Navicent Health both received the Pfizer vaccine.

There is not much of a difference between the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Both are mRNA technology.

The main difference is Moderna's is easier to store because it does not have to be kept at -75 degrees Celsius, like Pfizer's.

Pfizer's can only be kept in the refrigerator for five days before it expires versus the 30 days for Moderna's.

RELATED: Does it matter if you get the Moderna or the Pfizer vaccine?

Each vial of the Moderna vaccine has 10 doses and they were able to vaccinate about 200 employees on Thursday, starting with the ones who have direct interaction with COVID-19 patients.

"People have been saying this has been the best Christmas gift ever to receive the vaccination," Milligan said.

Jody and Christi say this is going to relieve some of the pressure they've been feeling in the ICU and all over the hospital

"These nurses are having to care for these patients at the end of life where their families can't be there for them. It's really hard on the nurses to see that," Christi said.

Jody says it's nice to see what he hopes is the beginning of the end.

"The staff have just worked themselves tirelessly to combat this virus and to be able to hopefully see an end in the near future is amazing," he said.

As for the shot itself? They both say it wasn't that bad.

"It was just like getting the flu vaccine that we get every year. Obviously, any time you get stuck with a needle there's a little pain and a little injection site soreness, but other than that, no feelings at all," Jody said. "I spoke with three of my staff who got it yesterday, called them this morning to make sure. No side effects. They all were doing well."

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