'A Shot Of Hope' | Ascension St. Agnes Healthcare Workers Receive First Doses Of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Ascension St. Agnes Hospital were distributed to healthcare workers Thursday.
They said it's more than just a medicine, it's a shot of hope.
"Nervous, I'm a little nervous, but I'm excited," Veronica Peace, a Nurse Technician, said.
It was a big day for Peace. She was the first healthcare worker at Ascension St. Agnes in southwest Baltimore to receive the vaccine.
With a quick prick of a needle and a round of applause, she made history.
"When I first started working on the frontlines, my heart was so heavy and now I just feel like I could save the world with the vaccine," Peace said.
Hospital officials said they received a shipment of the Pfizer vaccine in the morning, and by afternoon, 13 of their doctors and nurses rolled up their sleeves to get their first dose.
"Very excited, very grateful, I think this vaccine is going to make a huge difference," Pablo Garcia, an ICU Physician at Ascension St. Agnes, said.
Right now, healthcare workers, first responders and long-term care facility patients are among the first group eligible to receive the vaccine.
"At first I was nervous, but I feel fine," Jaci Buteau, an ER Nurse, said.
Some said each syringe is a shot of hope that the end of the pandemic is near.
"I was excited because it's a step in the right direction and it's going to make everyone feel safer," Buteau said.
Hospital officials said they will have about 100 healthcare workers receive the vaccine Friday.
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