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State Sen. Butler on fight against COVID-19, vaccine: ‘I feel pretty good about where the health care system is’

Over the last month, there have been hopeful signs for an approved vaccine for the COVID-19 virus from different pharmaceutical companies being made available to the public.  According to President Donald Trump, a tremendous federal effort is underway to distribute and administer the vaccine.

Will Alabama be ready when the time comes? State Sen. Tom Butler (R-Madison), a registered pharmacist, says some measures were already being put in place throughout the state in hospitals, pharmacies and other health care facilities.

During an interview with Mobile radio’s FM Talk 106.5 on Thursday, Butler speculated about the possibility federal money could be made available for vaccination efforts and said he felt “pretty good” about the health care system at this stage of taking on the coronavirus.

“I’ve seen CARES Act money appropriated and made available for non-profits, everything — loss of revenue from different businesses, PPE, what had to paid for as this thing came about,” he explained. “But I think CARES money should be available. I know the Congress as of yesterday was looking at about a $980 billion second wave of federal funding.”

“And I think getting the vaccine ready and being able to store and administer that would certainly be something that might be included in that package,” Butler continued. “So, I feel pretty good about where the health care system is in trying to respond to this dastardly virus that we’ve seen in the actions that have come about because of that.”

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly, and host of Mobile’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on FM Talk 106.5.

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