DUBLIN, Ga. — It's been less than a week since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved emergency use of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. On Thursday, three staff members were the first to get vaccinated at Dublin's Fairview Park Hospital.
Infectious Disease Physician Dr. Don Nelson was the very first to receive the vaccine, and he says that he's glad it's made its way to Central Georgia.
“Throughout history, any viral pandemic has really only been controlled by vaccination,” said Nelson.
After Nelson, Chief Medical Officer Dr. George Harrison and OBGYN Dr. Mike Karoly were the second and third people vaccinated. They received notice Wednesday that they would receive the shot.
Harrison says this was an exciting moment, and he looks forward to more Americans being vaccinated in the coming weeks.
“I feel fine. In fact, I don't even feel like I had a shot. You know, normally you get a lot of soreness -- maybe that's tomorrow -- but I feel fine,” he said.
“When we heard it was released for us, there was elation that filled the room because we know, being scientists, that this is the first step toward controlling this.”
Fairview's Chief Executive Officer says they're grateful to be the first hospital in Central Georgia to vaccinate employees.
“Our employees, our front line physicians and nurses and respiratory therapists and the full staff -- for them to be able to start getting the vaccine is just tremendous. We're so excited about that,” he said.