New Bedford Healthcare Worker Among First to Get COVID Vaccine

This week has been a pinnacle point in history for the entire world.

For the first time, COVID-19 vaccines are arriving in cities and towns across America, and the SouthCoast is no exception. St. Luke's Hospital received its first dosages this week to be given out to the healthcare workers and people of high priority according to the CDC.

Among those who had received one of the first shipments of the vaccine works within the medical field over at St. Luke's Hospital and for her privacy, we have decided to keep her anonymous.

Of course, there will always be mixed emotions on these types of shots, the same goes for the flu as well, but the story here has nothing to do with anti vs pro vaccinators, but rather the history being made behind the scenes. It's a momentous day in America and the fact that we've come this far in such a short period of time alone should speak volumes.

Our anonymous vaccine receiver was asked to tell her story and we began by asking a few simple questions:

How does this work, how does one get the opportunity to receive one of the coronavirus shots?

"It went by acuity, so whoever was in the highest acuity unit so ER, ICU, Covid Unit, anyone who was closet to Covid patience and the most exposure to the virus."

Explain the significant experience of getting a shot like the one for COVID-19.

"The needle is not big at all, it was like a normal injection. It was really quick and painless, and you sit there for 15 minutes to make sure you don't have any reactions to the shot, and then you go back in a couple of weeks for a second dose. There are no symptoms, I feel fine so far, taking it day by day."

What does it mean to have the vaccine on the SouthCoast and to be able to be one of the first people to take it?

"I feel lucky, perhaps this means it will be over soon. I work with such great doctors and nurses and to see everything that they've been through, if there's anything that I can do to put this past us as a community to move forward, I'm on board. I don't think we will ever go back to normal life, but it gives you hope that there's some kind of normalcy ahead for us. It's time to move forward."

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