CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Nine long months after the start of the pandemic, healthcare workers at the Schneider Regional Medical Center were among the first in the territory to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
This week alone, hundreds of health care workers across the territory will be the first to take the long-awaited vaccine. At SRMC, the first to receive the vaccine were thrilled.
“I am truly honored to be one of the first vaccinated in my territory. By taking the vaccine, I am honoring all of those who lost their lives from this devastating virus,” Dr. Tai Hunte-Ceasar, infectious disease specialist, said. “As we continue to vaccinate, I can see the beginning of the end of the deadly effects of the pandemic, and I hope my fellow Virgin Islanders understand the critical need to get immunized at once.”
“We are hopeful this marks the beginning of the end of a harrowing era in our territory,” Dr. Luis Amaro, SRMC Interim CEO, said. “At SRMC, we want to instill public confidence that the vaccine is safe. We are still in the midst of the pandemic, and so we all need to do our part to put an end to it. This COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer signals the light at the end of the tunnel.”
On December 11, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued the first emergency use authorization (EUA) for a vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
The emergency use authorization allows the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to be distributed in the United States.
