'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.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
