In an extraordinary moment of hope after a disastrous year, a nurse in Queens became the nation’s first person on Monday morning to receive the long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine.
More than nine months after battling coronovirus and tireless efforts to save lives, high-risk physicians and nurses directly treat virus-infected patients, the first outside of clinical trials to receive the Pfizer vaccine Will, who came to the state this morning. .
Sandra Lindsey, a critical care nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Glen Oaks, rolls up her sleeves and gets a shot on live television.
“It didn’t feel any different than taking any other vaccine,” Lindsey said.
Lindsay has treated coronavirus patients since the outbreak began in New York.
“I think the therapy is coming,” Lindsey said. “I hope this is the beginning of the end of a very painful time in our history. I want to assure the public that the vaccine is safe. We are in an epidemic, so we all need to put an end to it. Pandemic. I I believe in science. As a nurse, my practice is guided by science, so I trust science. I don’t believe that if I am contracted I don’t know how to do it on me or those people Will make an impact. Get in touch with. “
“It’s the light of the end of the tunnel through the holiday season, but it’s a long tunnel and we need people to continue doing the right thing and the smart thing,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo who participated in the extraordinary moment. From
Cuomo told Lindsey after receiving the shot, “I want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for what you do.” “When they use the word heroes, we don’t mean that we are lighthearted; we mean you deeply and honestly. By what you show everyday, you’re really a hero.”
The chair of emergency medicine at Lindox Hill Hospital, Dr. Yves Durso, less than two hours after Lindsey, was the second New Yorker to take the shot.
“Today is a very important day of hope, and that’s what is going to take us forward,” said Durso, “everyone was looking forward to this day; this day could not come so soon.”
Duroceau, who has been treating patients for months, shared how the virus has affected his life personally and urged Americans to take safety precautions.
“Unfortunately, there was someone in my family that I lost, my dear uncle, and I have a family member in the hospital right now, so it continues, and the way to stop it is vaccination.” . “We cannot continue to die 3,000 people a day, it has to stop.”
President Donald Trump tweeted shortly after Lindsay was given the first shot.
First vaccine administered. Congratulations USA! Congratulations to the world!
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 14 December 2020
More health care workers will be vaccinated throughout the day. New York City Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi said Monday morning during a press talk with Mayor Bill de Blasio that the vaccine would arrive in five hospitals in the city today, followed by 37 on Tuesday, and two more on Wednesday.
“From this day forward the vaccine will be given, from this day the vaccine will be distributed and we will turn the tide of coronovirus,” de Blasio said. “Today is a day to celebrate.”
“When I saw the needle going into the nurse’s arm, I felt it was a good hope, we’re really turning a corner, it’s really here,” De Blasio said, explaining that How does he feel looking at the moment.
In addition to health care workers, nursing home workers and residents also top the list for getting the vaccine.
New York City is currently preparing to receive and administer 465,000 doses over the next three weeks.
The greatest risk of contracting the virus is to plan to dose those first. The health commissioner said that by early 2021, there is hope to supply enough vaccines to expand the circle to start giving shots to people living in the 27 neighborhoods that were killed the hardest by coronoviruses Were.
The city’s Vaccine Command Center is opening simultaneously on Monday to ensure all aspects of vaccination.
“The city has never seen this level of effort,” deputy mayor Melanie Hertzog told NY1 in an exclusive interview.
The Hub will manage vaccination efforts across the board – from distribution and storage to data collection and real-time troubleshooting. It is a collaborative effort for all city agencies like the Department of Education and NYCHA, not just the Department of Health and the City Health + Hospital.
“What we are not doing is waiting for the plan. So we are stress-testing all of our delivery efforts, we are really thinking critically about how we take advantage of all our work including our test and trace corps that stood at the height of the epidemic and now in communities Is a reliable partner, ”said Hertzog.
As Pfizer’s first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is administered in New York, the city’s vaccine command centers are opening simultaneously on Monday to cover all aspects of vaccination. “The city never saw this level of effort,” said deputy mayor Melanie Hertzog. pic.twitter.com/6XynIK9Mwj
– Spectrum News NY1 (@ NY1) 14 December 2020
The command center also promises vaccination and transparency with the public.
“We’re starting to work with communities around making sure they feel comfortable around vaccinations. There’s a lot of misinformation,” Hartzog said.
The command center is tapping the city’s task force to address disparities for racial inclusion and equality and to address the needs of people affected by coronoviruses.
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