The first round of Pfizer vaccines are being administered at Long Island Jewish Medical Center to frontline healthcare workers. Photo by Dean Moses
Frontline healthcare workers at Queens’
LIJ receive fi rst COVID-19 vaccinations
BY DEAN MOSES
Monday marked a historic day in the
battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Dec. 14, New York hospitals received
shipments of the Pfizer vaccine,
and the director of Critical Care at Long
Island Jewish (LIJ) Medical Center,
Sandra Lindsey RN, was the very first
recipient.
The momentous occasion was
streamed live at about 9:20 a.m., during
which Governor Andrew Cuomo
watched remotely, and Northwell
Health CEO Michael Dowling observed
in person, as Lindsey received her vaccination.
A round of applause erupted
after the vaccine was injected into her
arm.
This vaccination was followed by two
other inoculation recipients — the most
recent of whom was Stephanie, a registered
nurse, who sat upon the examination
chair proudly as she extended her
arm, ready to be one of the first to move
forward during this pandemic.
Once administered, Stephanie exclaimed
happily that she feel great to
crowd of onlookers.
Amidst the thousands upon thousands
who have died due to COVID-19,
the landmark vaccine makes its way to
cities throughout the United States just
in time for the holidays.
At an morning press conference,
Dowling addressed the media by underscoring
that although the vaccination is
here, individuals should not be lax about
their precautions. It is still pivotal that
everyone wear their masks, wash their
hands and maintain social distance.
“We’ve been at the epicenter of the
COVID crisis back since March. We
have seen well over 100,000 COVID patients.
Today is a very special day, we
can now see, since the vaccine is available,
the light at the end of the tunnel.
It is a beautiful opportunity for us to be
confident, hopeful and positive that we
can, if we all work together, end this
COVID crisis,” Dowling said.
At LIJ, the inoculations were distributed
in waves during press conferences,
allowing groups of journalists
to capture the scene for the world to
see. It was stressed by LIJ officials that
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.2 COM | DEC. 18-DEC. 24, 2020
this vaccination has undergone several
studies and it is the only way to return
to normalcy.
Dowling began by introducing the
very first recipient, Lindsey, to provide
everyone with an update as to how she
feels since receiving her vaccination at
a little after 9:30 a.m.
“Today is special for me. It should
give you all hope that finally the vaccine
is here. I feel like the vaccine is safe. I’m
confident in science. This marks the beginning
of the end of a very dark time
in our lives. So we can feel hopeful today.
My arm feels fine. It doesn’t feel
any different than getting a regular
vaccine. I feel relieved for myself, for my
colleagues who have been working tirelessly
on the frontlines over the past 10
months. I can’t thank them enough, as
a leader in the health system I think it
was important for me to take the vaccine
and lead by example,” Lindsey said.
Distribution will continue over the
course of four to six weeks, depending
on the supply for healthcare workers,
health officials said.
The choice for which hospitals would
receive the vaccination was based on
whether they contained an ultra-cold
storage area for the Pfizer vaccine vials.
The contents of the vaccine are highly
sensitive, and once removed from
the dry ice they were packed in, they
must be placed in a freezer within 90
seconds.
Cuomo devised a hierarchy of who
will receive the vaccinations first:
frontline healthcare workers with high
exposure to COVID-19 will be first, to be
followed by nursing home staff and individuals
residing in those facilities.
Doctor Michelle Chester preps the
COVID-19 vaccine for administration.
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