BUTTE — Tom Cronnelly almost never got a flu shot. But after a bout with COVID-19, he says he would not hesitate to get vaccinated.
“For this thing, knowing what I know now, I would be the first in line to do that,” said Cronnelly.
The Butte businessman was floored by COVID-19 earlier this fall and his recovery was long and difficult.
“I’ll tell you COVID is not like the flu. It came on quick, I was fine and the next thing you know I’m in bed and I was sore and lost taste, it was brutal and it lasted a good 10 days of just being miserable,” said Cronnelly.
The governor announced this week that Montana will soon receive about 10,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine which will go to nurses and residents of long-term care facilities. Thousands of more doses are expected in the weeks after the initial shipment.
“Get your shot and then go to a bar and have a shot. Let’s celebrate that our life and get back to normal,” said Cronnelly.
Once this vaccine becomes readily available to the public, Cronnelly, who is a local businessman, says he hopes everyone in the community chooses to get vaccinated.
“Our economy is driven a lot by the festivals and Music On Main and St. Patrick’s Day and those types of events are really hurting businesses in town, so the sooner we all get the vaccine, the sooner we get some level of normalcy back,” said Cronnelly.