PROTECTION OVER THIS COUNTRY
THAT WOULD END THIS PANDEMIC.
>> AS WE’VE BEEN TELLING YOU,
FRONTLINE HEALTH CARE WORKERS
ARE AMONG THE FIRST TO RECEIVE
THE CORONAVIRUS VACCINE.
AND ONE OF THEM IS OUR OWN NBC
NEWS MEDICAL CONTRIBUTOR, DR.
NATALIE AZAR.
SHE IS ABOUT TO GET HER FIRST
DOSE.
SHE’S STANDING BY.
DR. NATALIE, GOOD MORNING TO
YOU.
YOU READY?
>> HOW ARE YOU?
>> YEAH, I’M READY.
I AM READY, CRAIG.
>> I KNOW YOU ARE.
WE UNDERSTAND YOU’RE GETTING THE
PFIZER VACCINE, DR. NATALIE.
WAS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION --
>> YES.
>> -- TO WHICH VACCINE YOU WOULD
GET, PFIZER VERSUS MODERNA?
>> NO, CRAIG.
I THINK HONESTLY FOR THE
FORESEEABLE FUTURE, THE VACCINE
THAT YOU ARE OFFERED IS THE ONE
THAT YOU ARE WILL BE ABLE TO
GET.
I DON’T KNOW WE’LL EVER GET TO A
POINT IN TIME WHEN PEOPLE CAN
PICK AND CHOOSE.
THANK GOODNESS THEY ALL HAVE
ABOUT THE SAME EFFICACY AND
SAFETY, SO WE’RE GOOD.
>> DR. NATALIE, I KNOW IT’S A
LITTLE TOUGH TO HEAR BECAUSE
YOU’RE NOT ALONE IN THAT
MAKESHIFT VACCINE BAY.
THERE ARE OTHER DOCTORS ALSO
GETTING THE VACCINE WITH YOU.
>> I AM NOT.
>> WHAT IS THE MOOD LIKE?
DOES IT FEEL LIKE CHRISTMAS COME
EARLY?
>> YOU KNOW WHAT, DYLAN,
HONESTLY THERE’S SO MUCH
EXCITEMENT, YOU’D THINK WE WERE
ALL LINING UP TO GO TO A
CONCERT.
THE WHOLE WORKFORCE HERE AT NYU,
WE’RE ALL HERE TOGETHER, NURSES,
YOU KNOW, PATIENT-FACING STAFF,
ANYBODY WHO TAKES CARE OF
PATIENTS IS HERE GETTING IT.
WE’RE ALL ROLLING UP OUR
SLEEVES, ANXIOUS AND EXCITED TO
BE ABLE TO DO IT.
>> AND, DR. NATALIE, LET’S GET
TO IT HERE.
I KNOW NURSE REGINA IS STANDING
BY THERE.
>> OKAY.
>> LET’S GET THE NURSE IN.
>> SHE’S GOT THE SHORT SLEEVES
ON.
>> I’M GOING TO ASK YOU SEVERAL
QUESTIONS TO CONSENTING TO
VACCINATION.
ALL RIGHT.
DO YOU FEEL WELL TODAY?
>> I FEEL FINE.
>> DID YOU RECEIVE ANY
VACCINATIONS IN THE LAST 14
DAYS?
>> I HAVE NOT.
>> DO YOU HAVE ANY SEVERE
ALLERGIC REACTIONS TO ANYTHING
BEFORE?
>> I HAVE NOT.
>> DID YOU RECEIVE ANY COVID
ANTIBODY TREATMENT IN THE LAST
90 DAYS?
>> I HAVE NOT.
>> DID YOU RECEIVE ANY STEROID
TREATMENT AND DO YOU HAVE ANY
AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES.
>> NO.
>> ALL RIGHT.
YOU ARE GOOD TO GO.
SO I AM GOING TO GIVE YOU YOUR
VACCINATION NOW.
>> I’M EXCITED.
>> YES.
>> IT’S EXCITING.
WE’RE GOING TO ERADICATE THIS
COVID.
>> DR. NATALIE, YOU CAN STILL
HEAR US, RIGHT?
>> YES, SIR.
>> I’M GOING TO TRY AND DISTRACT
YOU JUST IN CASE.
>> OH, YEAH, THANK YOU.
>> THAT NEEDLE THAT SHE’S USING,
IS THAT PRETTY MUCH THE SAME
KIND OF NEEDLE THAT THEY USE FOR
THE FLU SHOTS?
>> OH, YEAH.
THIS IS AN INTRA MUSCULAR, IT
GOES INTO THE MUSCLE.
I HEARD THAT REGINA HAS A VERY
GENTLE HAND, SO WE’LL BE GOOD.
>> AND I KNOW YOU’VE BEEN ON THE
FRONT LINE SINCE THIS WHOLE
THING STARTED.
IT’S GOT TO BE A RELIEF TO GET
THE VACCINE, BUT WHAT IS LIFE
GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR YOU
STARTING TOMORROW?
ARE WE STILL LOOKING AT THE
MASKS?
ARE YOU STILL SOCIALLY
DISTANCING?
>> LIFE IS NOT GOING TO LOOK ANY
DIFFERENT FOR ME.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE
REALLY, REALLY WANT TO
COMMUNICATE VERY CLEARLY TO
FOLKS, THAT EVEN AFTER YOU ARE
ABLE TO GET A VACCINE, YOU’RE
STILL DOING EVERYTHING THE SAME.
YOU’RE WEARING YOUR MASK WHEN
YOU’RE NOT IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD,
YOU’RE STILL KEEPING YOUR
DISTANCE, YOU’RE STILL WASHING
YOUR HANDS.
ONE OF THE BIG UNKNOWNS IS
WHETHER OR NOT IF YOU HAD THE
VACCINE CAN YOU STILL TRANSMIT
TO SOMEBODY.
SO UNTIL WE GET TO THAT PLACE
WHERE 70% OF THE COUNTRY IS
IMMUNIZED, WE CAN’T MAKE ANY
ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THAT.
AND SO MY LIFE WILL CONTINUE THE
WAY IT IS.
I WILL WEAR MY PPE WHEN I SEE MY
PATIENTS AND I’M GOING TO WEAR
MY MASK WHEN I’M OUTSIDE OF THE
HOUSE.
>> DR. NATALIE, REALLY QUICKLY
BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, YOU POSTED
SOMETHING ON INSTAGRAM WE WANTED
TO ASK YOU ABOUT.
YOU’VE DONATING BLOOD.
YOU DONATED BLOOD BEFORE THE
VACCINE AND YOU’RE GOING TO
DONATE MORE BLOOD AFTER THE
VACCINE AND WE’RE GOING TO TEST
THE BLOOD.
WHAT IS THAT TEST GOING TO TELL
US?
>> SO THIS WAS REALLY
INTERESTING.
WE GOT A TEXT FROM ONE OF MY
COLLEAGUES TWO DAYS AGO WHO’S
ONE OF THE LEAD INVESTIGATORS IN
MANY OF THE RESEARCH TRIALS HERE
AT NYU.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS A BIG
QUESTION MARK ABOUT THE VACCINE
IS HOW LONG THE IMMUNITY LASTS
ONCE YOU GET IT.
AND IN A POPULATION OF OUR
PATIENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO ARE
COMPROMISED, HAVE COMPROMISED
IMMUNE SYSTEMS, DO THEY EVEN
MOUNT A REALLY GOOD VACCINE
RESPONSE.
IF THEY DO, HOW LONG DOES IT
LAST.
SO WE WERE VOLUNTEERED AS
HEALTHY CONTROLS.
SO I GAVE BLOOD YESTERDAY, I’LL
GIVE BLOOD AGAIN IN FOUR WEEKS
AND THEN AGAIN IN SIX MONTHS TO
SEE HOW MY IMMUNE CELLS
RESPONDED TO THE VACCINE AND HOW
LONG MY IMMUNITY IS COMPARED TO
PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT HAVE AS
ROBUST AN IMMUNE RESPONSE.
>> DR. NATALIE, WE ARE THRILLED
THAT YOU JUST GOT THAT SHOT IN
YOUR ARM.
KEEP US POSTED.
LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY SIDE
EFFECTS.
BUT CONGRATULATIONS.
DR. NATALIE AZAR.
>> I SURE WILL.
>> THANK YOU.
ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND IT’S NICE TO SEE ALL THE
DOCTORS WE CHECK IN WITH GETTING