A critical care nurse in New York became the first person in the United States to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday.
Sandra Lindsay, an intensive care unit nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, New York City, received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in a live video event on Monday.
Minutes after the nurse got the vaccine shot, outgoing President Donald Trump tweeted, “First Vaccine Administered. Congratulations USA! Congratulations WORLD!”
First Vaccine Administered. Congratulations USA! Congratulations WORLD!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2020
President-elect Joe Biden, meanwhile, tweeted, “Stay hopeful — brighter days lie ahead.”
Stay hopeful — brighter days lie ahead. https://t.co/rEY4b7TGBf
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 14, 2020
Dr. Michelle Chester, the corporate director of employee health services at Northwell Health, administered the shot.
“She has a good touch, and it didn’t feel any different than taking any other vaccine,” Lindsay said.
Lindsay lauded those who have been on the frontline in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m feeling well. I would like to thank all the frontline workers, all my colleagues who have been doing a yeoman’s job to fight this pandemic all over the world,” she said. “I feel hopeful today, relieved. I feel like healing is coming. I hope this marks the beginning of the end of a very painful time in our history.”
The United States’ first batch of the BioNTech and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines started arriving on Monday.
US Army General Gustave Perna said medical frontline health workers and senior citizens in care facilities will be the main recipients of the first wave of 2.9 million COVID-19 vaccines.
Within a three-week period, the vaccine program popularly known as Operation Warp should be able to distribute the vaccine to all vaccination sites identified by states, such as healthcare facilities and local pharmacies.
FDA said the vaccine can be given to people aged 16 and older.
The United States is the third country in the world to have authorized the use of the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer in partnership with the German firm BioNTech.
Canada’s health regulator earlier approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, a day after the United Kingdom became the first country in the world to roll it out.
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