HARTFORD, Conn — The first COVID-19 vaccine arrived Monday morning in Connecticut and was administered to 15 Hartford Healthcare frontline workers.
While the news comes as a relief for many, doctors said we still have a long way to go.
"This is a historic moment," said Hartford Healthcare President and CEO Jeffrey Flaks.
The batch of nearly 2,000 doses made by Pfizer was sent to Hartford Hospital and this came after nine months of developing the vaccine.
"We have tremendous confidence in the vaccine. The process followed good scientific principles," said, Director of Systems Pharmacy Eric Arlia.
"We are now in a place where we can say this is a day of hope. This is a day of change. Not just for Hartford Healthcare, not just for our state but for our nation," said Windham Hospital Director of Medicine Dr. Melisha Cumberland.
FOX61 spoke to some of the healthcare workers who received the vaccine.
"Not only is it an honor but it is one of the most ... possibly one of the most important things I will ever be a part of," said Jasmine Ortiz, a patient care associate of the emergency department.
"I was very nervous when they asked me and when I made my decision, all the nerves went away," said Benjamin Koomson, a patient care associate of the emergency department.
The next in line to get the vaccine would be nursing homes where they have been the epicenter of the virus. Loved ones have been divided from seeing each other during the pandemic.
Timothy Brown with Athena Healthcare Systems hoped this can be a step in reuniting those families.
"I think there’s definitely a light at the end of the tunnel now. This is a welcome relief for nursing home residents and employees as well as family members to know that there is ... we are turning the tide on this," said Athena Healthcare Systems Marketing Director Timothy Brown.
The first nursing home to receive it will be the Cherry Brook Healthcare Center in Canton next Monday.
Brown said Athena Healthcare operates over 200 nursing homes in Connecticut, all of which will eventually get the vaccine leading up to January.
The steps for nursing homes are a bit more procedural. Residents' families will first have to sign a consent form.
Once that is signed, residents will receive the vaccine through CVS pharmacists will go room to room to administer it.
As for employees, they will receive it in a clinic-like setting.
The big question, however, on people's mind is the thought of whether we are officially safe from Coronavirus.
Dr. Albert Ko with Yale New Haven Hospital said for now, not yet. Only a small percentage of the population is getting the vaccine and it can take six to eight months until we see a difference.
"We still are going to have to use face masks, we still have to reduce gathering size, we’re still going to have to maintain social distancing. Just because we’re getting the vaccine doesn’t mean the whole society is protected," said Yale-New Haven Hospital Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Albert Ko.
Hartford Healthcare officials said they will continue to conduct more testing and ultimately vaccinate patients down the line.