This May 4 photo provided by the University of Maryland School of Medicine shows the first patient enrolled in Pfizer’s COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine clinical trial at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.

This May 4 photo provided by the University of Maryland School of Medicine shows the first patient enrolled in Pfizer’s COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine clinical trial at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.

WADESBORO — Atrium Health announced a plan to prioritize rural areas as the first to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Atrium will be among the first in the Southeast region to be receiving the newest approved COVID-19 vaccine, according to a press release from the hospital on Dec. 21.

Three Atrium facilities in rural areas will be prioritized as some of the first to receive the vaccine, including Atrium Health Anson. The other two facilities are Atrium Health Stanly and Atrium Health Kings Mountain.

The initial shipment of the Moderna vaccine to Atrium Health includes 1,000 doses. Atrium Health’s frontline healthcare workers will be of the first to receive the vaccine.

The communications team at Atrium Health did not have an exact day on when the vaccine will make its way to Anson.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 18. The vaccine is proven to be safe and is 94.1% effective.

The FDA said common side effects of the vaccine include pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, nausea, vomiting and fever.