By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Queens, New York — Critical care nurse Sandra Lindsay received the first dose of the two-shot vaccine at about 9:20 a.m. EST on Monday, December 14.
Medical officials administered the dose on camera as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others watched on a livestream.
“The person who is going to take the first vaccine in the state of New York, maybe the first vaccine shot in the United States,” Cuomo said of Lindsay as she sat in a chair ahead of receiving the historic jab.
“This vaccine is exciting because I believe this is the weapon that will end the war,” the governor said. “It is the beginning of the last chapter of the book, but now we just have to do it. The vaccine doesn’t work if it’s in the vial. We’re here to watch you take the first shot.”
Lindsay, who works at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, proclaimed, “I feel great,” after receiving the injection from Dr. Michelle Chester, the director of employee health services at Northwell Health.
Cuomo remarked to Lindsay, “You didn’t flinch.”
Lindsay said she hopes to instill public confidence that the vaccine is safe.
“I feel hopeful today, relieved. I feel like healing is coming,” Lindsay exclaimed.
Pfizer’s vaccine was expected to arrive via Federal Express and UPS freight and ground transportation at 145 locations across all 50 states in the U.S. Monday morning.
The vaccine was authorized for emergency use in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration. It’s estimated that about 2.9 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine will be distributed this week in the first vaccine rollout phase.
High-risk populations like healthcare workers and nursing home staff and residents in the U.S. will be prioritized to receive the landmark vaccine.
“I hope this marks the beginning of the end of a very painful time in our history. We’re in a pandemic, so we all need to do our part to put an end to the pandemic,” Lindsay said.
