PENDLETON — Local health care workers will start receiving COVID-19 vaccinations this week, with long-term care residents and staff to follow in the next week or two, Madison County Health Department Administrator Stephenie Grimes said Tuesday.

“I know some (health care workers) who already have appointments to go get their vaccine on Friday,” she said.

Community Hospital Anderson is one of about 50 hospitals statewide that will inoculate doctors, nurses and other hospital staff.

“Long-term care facilities (staff and residents) are being covered by Walgreens and CVS, however,” she said.

Grimes said the health department is gearing up to receive the vaccine for the general public beginning the first week of January.

Health care workers and long-term care facility staff and residents will receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Grimes said, while the health department will receive the Moderna vaccine for the public, if it’s approved as expected. To plan, she said she hopes to receive details soon on quantity of doses to expect and eligibility.

“We can vaccinate 150 people in a day,” she said.