The first federally approved coronavirus vaccine in the United States went to a critical care nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York on Monday, Fox News reported.
Sandra Lindsay, a Northwell Health employee who spent the last 10 months working the front lines as the coronavirus devastated the state, was vaccinated during a press conference with Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The governor said that "In New York, we prioritized healthcare workers at the top of the list to receive the vaccine because we know that you are out there every day putting your lives in danger for the rest of us."
Lindsay said she felt hopeful, was relieved, and wanted to "instill public confidence that the vaccine is safe."
Cuomo stressed that it would be months before there was enough supply for a critical mass of the general public to receive it, saying "this is the light at the end of the tunnel. But it's a long tunnel and we need people to continue to be doing the right thing. And the smart thing, all through the holiday season. And hopefully, when we get to about June, they estimate the vaccine can hit critical mass."
The first vaccination came just one day after workers at a Michigan Pfizer plant loaded the first of nearly 3 million doses onto trucks to be distributed nationwide.
UPS Healthcare President Wes Wheeler, whose company along with rival FedEx is carrying out the mass deliveries of the vaccine, told NBC News that "Everything's on time, no disruptions, and we're very, very excited."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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