GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Dr. Monty Langston, who works for Community Hospital, sat with one sleeve on his T-shirt rolled up. “I can’t get the vaccine through this shirt so I wore a T-shirt with the Captain America logo,” says Dr. Langston.
Healthcare workers are on the front lines in the battle against the Coronavirus. But Tuesday those heroes at Community Hospital got an extra shield of protection to aid them in their work. It came in the form of the Moderna Vaccine.
“I feel like Captain America does. I’m doing this for the betterment of America and in doing my part,” says Dr. Langston. After getting the vaccine, he talked about what it was like.
“The experience was no different than any other vaccination I’ve had. The flu or most recently the shingles vaccine that I got,” he says.

Community Hospital received about 1200 doses of the vaccine. They aim to distribute about 300 a day. And though the vaccine is new, healthcare workers we talked with said they’re confident the vaccine is both effective and safe.

“It’s going to be hard to stop the pandemic short of the vaccine, and that’s the reason it’s so important, this is a game changer with the vaccine,” says Dr. Barry Holcomb, who also works for Community Hospital.

Dr. Langston believes the vaccine is important, not just to protect himself, but also to protect others. “I feel as a physician what I’m exposed to at work, I take home to my family and my children,” he says, “And I feel that whatever that risk that may be associated with the vaccine, albeit based on my research and the research of others, is small, I feel that is a worthy sacrifice.”