NATIONWIDE HERE AT UF HEALTH IN
JACKSONVILLE.
THEY BEGAN LINING UP AGAIN EARLY
THIS MORNING, ALL WAITING TO GET
THAT ALL-IMPORTANT JAB IN THE
ARM.
THIS MORNING HEALTH CARE WORKERS
BREATHING A SIGH OF RELIEF, AS
PLANES, DELIVERY TRUCKS AND
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES DELIVER THE
MUCH-ANTICIPATED VACCINE TO
FRONT-LINE CARE DPIFRGIVERS ACRO
NATION.
NEW YORK NURSE SANDRA LINDSAY
THE VERY FIRST PERSON IN THE
U.S. TO GET THE SHOT.
>> I FELT A HUGE SENSE OF RELIEF
AND HOPE AND JUST THAT HEALING
IS ON ITS WAY AND THAT WE CAN
FINALLY PUT AN END TO THIS
PANDEMIC.
>> Reporter: FINALLY, A DEFENSE
FOR THOSE ON THE FRONT LINES,
WHO ARE EXPOSED TO COVID EVERY
DAY.
>> NOT ONLY DID I GET A VACCINE,
BUT I GOT A SHOT OF HOPE.
>> Reporter: DR. MAGGIE HAGAN IS
AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST
IN WICHITA, KANSAS.
>> I SEE ABOUT 50 PEOPLE WITH
COVID EVERY SINGLE DAY.
I’VE BEEN AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE
SPECIALIST OVER 30 YEARS AND
NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE
THIS.
>> Reporter: FOR THE EMOTIONALLY
EXHAUSTED --
>> I CAN’T EXPRESS THE
HEARTACHE.
>> Reporter: -- THIS IS A MOMENT
TO EXHALE.
>> IT IS THE BEGINNING OF
SOMETHING THAT’S GOING TO BE
VERY, VERY POSITIVE.
>> Reporter: HEALTH CARE WORKERS
SHOWING THOSE WHO ARE HESITANT,
THIS IS SAFE.
>> I WANT TO BE HERE TO SERVE AS
AN EXAMPLE AND TO SAY THAT THIS
VACCINE IS SAFE.
I’D RATHER SEE YOU GET THE
VACCINE THAN SEE YOU ON A
BREATHING MACHINE IN THE
INTENSIVE CARE UNIT.
>> Reporter: BUT STRESSING FOR
NOW A VACCINE DOES NOT REPLACE
CRITICAL SAFETY MEASURES LIKE
SOCIAL DISTANCING, MASK WEARING,
AND THOROUGHLY WASHING YOUR
HANDS.
>> I JUST HOPE THAT THE PUBLIC
DOESN’T GIVE UP ON DOING WHAT
THEY NEED TO DO.
>> Reporter: SO, GUYS, WE’RE NOW
AT UF HEALTH CENTER HERE IN
JACKSONVILLE WHERE THEY’RE GOING
TO GIVE A -- WELL, WE’RE GOING
TO SEE IT LIVE ON THE AIR.
THIS IS CYNTHIA GERDICK.
I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU, FIRST OF
ALL, ARE YOU ANXIOUS?
>> NO, SIR, I’M NOT.
>> Reporter: YOU’RE NOT ANXIOUS?
>> NO.
>> Reporter: YOU’VE BEEN ANXIOUS
EVERY DAY WORKING IN THE COVID
WARD HERE?
>> I’VE BEEN ANXIOUS EVERY DAY
AND ALL THE COVID PATIENTS WE’VE
BEEN CARING ABOUT, BUT BEING A
ROLE MODEL AND GETTING MY
VACCINE IS IMPORTANT AND THAT’S
WHAT I’M DOING HERE THIS
MORNING.
>> Reporter: OKAY.
I’M GOING TO JUST STOP FOR A
MOMENT AND WE’RE GOING TO PUT A
STOP WATCH UP ON THIS BECAUSE WE
WANT TO SHOW, IT’S BEEN
INCREDIBLY COMPLICATED TO GET
THIS DEVELOPED, TO GET IT ON AIR
PLANES, TO GET IT IN VEHICLES,
TO GET IT DELIVERED, TO HAVE IT
IN THE SPECIAL UNIT THAT KEEPS
IT COLD BUT THIS IS THE QUICKEST
PART.
WE’RE GOING TO START THE STOP
WATCH.
VICKI, GO AHEAD.
THERE WE GO.
WE STOPPED THE STOP WATCH AND IT
READS, GUYS -- IT FELT LIKE
SEVEN SECONDS.
SIX SECONDS.
THERE WE GO.
DID IT HURT?
>> NO, SIR.
>> Reporter: YOU IN YOUR UNIT
HAVE SADLY NOT ONLY SEEN COVID
PATIENTS DIE, BUT YOU’VE
ACTUALLY TOLD ME THAT YOU’VE HAD
SOME CO-WORKERS WHO HAVE WORKED
HERE AT THE HOSPITAL WHO HAVE
HAD LOVED ONES DIE.
EMOTIONALLY WHAT HAS THIS BEEN
LIKE FOR YOU NOT ONLY SEEING
STRANGERS DIE, BUT REALLY
FRIENDS AND RELATIVES DIE?
>> IT’S BEEN VERY, VERY
DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER YEAR IN
MY CAREER.
>> Reporter: 40-YEAR CAREER.
>> 40 PLUS YEARS.
IT IS DRAINING EMOTIONALLY, NOT
ONLY FOR OUR STAFF BUT FOR
MYSELF.
>> Reporter: SO THIS SHOT
REPRESENTS?
>> HOPE.
AND THAT WE ARE GOING TO
DECREASE THIS PANDEMIC.
>> Reporter: OKAY, GREAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I KNOW THAT YOU NOW HAVE TO SIT
OVER THERE FOR 15 MINUTES.
THEY’LL CHECK FOR WHETHER THERE
ARE ANY KIND OF AFTEREFFECTS.
VICKI WILL CONTINUE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT’S SO
INTERESTING IS THEY HAVE THIS
VACCINE JUST A SHORT DISTANCE
AWAY SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE SURE
IT MAINTAINS THE TEMPERATURE
THAT IT NEEDS AND THEN THEY
BRING IT FROM THERE, MIX IT OR
THEY PREPARE IT INSIDE THE
SYRINGE AND THEN DELIVER IT AND
IT ALL HAPPENS EVER SO QUICKLY.
>> SOME PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT
IT.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THIS HAS
BEEN ON A FAST TRACK BUT AS DR.
FAUCI ALWAYS SAYS, THE SCIENCE
HAS NOT BEEN ON A FAST TRACK,
THEY HAVE CROSSED ALL THE Ts AND
DOTTED ALL THE Is.
HOW ABOUT ALL THOSE FRONT-LINE
WORKERS?
YOUR PATIENT THERE, SHE WAS
READY TO GO.
>> Reporter: ABSOLUTELY.
LOOK, THERE IS NO HESITATION AT
ALL.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE PEOPLE ARE
HERE.
THE OTHER DIRECTION THERE’S A
LONG LINE OF PEOPLE WAITING.
ONE OF THE NURSES THAT I SPOKE
TO THIS MORNING SAID WE BELIEVE
IN SCIENCE.
THAT’S WHAT WE ARE ALL ABOUT.
SO OF COURSE THEY BELIEVE THAT
THIS IS GOING TO BE THEIR
PROTECTION.
AND THEY HOPE BY SHOWING US ON
THE AIR LIVE AS THIS HAPPENS
THAT WHEN IT FINALLY REACHES THE
GENERAL PUBLIC, WE WILL HAVE A
SENSE OF CONFIDENCE THAT WE TOO
CAN GET THESE VACCINATIONS
WITHOUT WORRY.
>> OF COURSE THEY’LL BE BACK IN
A FEW WEEKS TO GET THEIR SECOND