4 DECEMBER 17, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Frontline workers at LIJ receive COVID-19 vaccinations
BY DEAN MOSES
EDITORIAL@QNS.COM
@QNS
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
The fi rst round of Pfi zer vaccines are being administered at Long Island Jewish Medical Center to frontline
healthcare workers. Photos by Dean Moses
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 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. I would not ask
my staff to not do anything that I
would not do myself,” 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.
After these vaccinations have been
distributed, individuals who work in
high interaction and essential vocations,
such as firefighters and teachers
would be next on the list.
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