Seniors in Broward nursing homes will be among the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine .

A pilot program, announced Friday by state officials, will prioritize giving the COVID-19 vaccine to nursing home residents and staff in Broward and Pinellas counties to speed up distribution.

In Broward, being first means quick vaccinations for all 35 of its “skilled-nursing facilities,” said Dr. Paula Thaqi, director of the Florida Department of Health in Broward. “It will serve as a model for the rest of the statewide vaccination efforts.”

Both counties were chosen to be first because they each are equipped to handle the cold-storage requirements of the Pfizer vaccine, and because of the high number of senior living homes in their areas. This initial distribution of vaccines is expected next week, aimed toward protecting the most vulnerable in communities. The counties will get a combined 21,450 doses for the nursing homes, she said.

The vaccinations of nursing-home residents and staff all will be on a voluntary basis.

Paramedic teams will administer the vaccines, and the Florida National Guard will help with the logistics, health officials announced Friday.

Already, CVS and Walgreens are planning to go on site to administer the vaccines at nursing homes through a contract with the federal government. They will have access to 60,450 doses.

In Pinellas, which includes the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, there are 70 nursing homes and 172 assisted-living facilities, said Maggie Hall, spokeswoman with the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas.