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First Coloradans receive Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

By 12/14/2020 | updated 5 years ago

A front-line medical worker with underlying health conditions received Colorado’s first COVID-19 vaccination shot Monday afternoon, launching a months-long inoculation campaign to inoculate people across the state against the novel coronavirus.

Colorado received its first doses of the vaccine from manufacturer Pfizer earlier in the morning and more shipments will arrive over the next two days. With this initial batch, Colorado will receive enough doses to give 46,800 people their first of the two required shots.

COVID-19 vaccines in Colorado: Your guide

“Who ever thought we’d be excited to see a needle?” Gov. Jared Polis said prior to the first injection at UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital.

Employees of the Fort Collins hospital were to be the first Coloradans to receive doses of the vaccine. The first vaccine was slated to go to Kevin Londrigan, a respiratory therapist who has underlying health conditions.

First Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shipment arrives in Colorado

“This has been a long, exhausting time coming,” he said before being inoculated. “The vaccine isn’t the end of it, but it is the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The Fort Collins hospital was expected to vaccinate 20 health care workers on Monday, with another 20 due to be vaccinated at UCHealth’s Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs.

FORT COLLINS, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 14: Christy Ruffell, manager of clinic nursing standards at UCHealth Medical Center, left, administers the very first Covid-19 vaccine to Kevin Londrigan, a respiratory therapist at UCHealth Medical Center, right, at UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital on December 14, 2020 in Fort Collins, Colorado. The first Covid-19 vaccines were administered in Colorado to frontline health care workers in Fort Collins and Colorado Springs today. Governor Jared Polis joined these nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists and other frontline workers in the cafeteria of hospital as one by one they got the vaccine. A total of twenty vaccines were administered to a variety of doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and others from Northern Colorado medical facilities. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post, Pool)
Helen H. Richardson
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 14: Colorado Governor Jared Polis, left, makes a few remarks to the media as he watches as Gina Harper, clinical coordinator with pharmacy, right, reconstitutes a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine before it is administered to the first patients in Colorado at UC Health Poudre Valley Hospital on December 14, 2020 in Fort Collins, Colorado. The first Covid-19 vaccines were administered in Colorado to frontline health care workers in Fort Collins and Colorado Springs today. Governor Jared Polis joined these nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists and other frontline workers in the cafeteria of hospital as one by one they got the vaccine. A total of twenty vaccines were administered to twenty doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and others from Northern Colorado medical facilities. During the process of preparing the vaccines, Harper adds sodium chloride to reconstitute the vaccine before injecting it into patients. Governor Jared Polis said that today’s event shows the triumph of modern science and that the end of the pandemic is in sight. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post, Pool)
Helen H. Richardson
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 14: Colorado Governor Jared Polis, left, watches as Gina Harper, clinical coordinator with pharmacy, right, reconstitutes a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine before it is administered to the first patients in Colorado at UC Health Poudre Valley Hospital on December 14, 2020 in Fort Collins, Colorado. The first Covid-19 vaccines were administered in Colorado to frontline health care workers in Fort Collins and Colorado Springs today. Governor Jared Polis joined these nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists and other frontline workers in the cafeteria of hospital as one by one they got the vaccine. A total of twenty vaccines were administered to twenty doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and others from Northern Colorado medical facilities. During the process of preparing the vaccines, Harper adds sodium chloride to reconstitute the vaccine before injecting it into patients. Governor Jared Polis said that today’s event shows the triumph of modern science and that the end of the pandemic is in sight. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post, Pool)
Helen H. Richardson
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 14: Poudre Valley Hospital ICU Nurse Megan Tschacher shows off her vaccination card after getting the first round of COVID-19 vaccines at UC Health Poudre Valley Hospital on December 14, 2020 in Fort Collins, Colorado. The first Covid-19 vaccines were administered in Colorado to frontline health care workers in Fort Collins and Colorado Springs today. Governor Jared Polis joined these nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists and other frontline workers in the cafeteria of hospital as one by one they got the vaccine. A total of twenty vaccines were administered to a variety of doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and others from Northern Colorado medical facilities. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post, Pool)
Helen H. Richardson
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 14: Andrew Harmon, interim director of pharmacy at UCHealth Northern Colorado, holds up three of four vials containing the first rounds of the Covid-19 vaccines at UC Health Poudre Valley Hospital on December 14, 2020 in Fort Collins, Colorado. The first Covid-19 vaccines were administered in Colorado to frontline health care workers in Fort Collins and Colorado Springs today. Governor Jared Polis joined these nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists and other frontline workers in the cafeteria of hospital as one by one they got the vaccine. A total of twenty vaccines were administered to a variety of doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and others from Northern Colorado medical facilities. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post, Pool)
Helen H. Richardson
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 14: Gina Harper, clinical coordinator with pharmacy, measures out the exact amount of the Covid-19 vaccine for a dose before it is administered to the first patients in Colorado at UC Health Poudre Valley Hospital on December 14, 2020 in Fort Collins, Colorado. The first Covid-19 vaccines were administered in Colorado to frontline health care workers in Fort Collins and Colorado Springs today. Governor Jared Polis joined these nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists and other frontline workers in the cafeteria of hospital as one by one they got the vaccine. A total of twenty vaccines were administered to twenty doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and others from Northern Colorado medical facilities. During the process of preparing the vaccines, Harper adds sodium chloride to reconstitute the vaccine before injecting it into patients. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post, Pool)
Helen H. Richardson
The first Coloradan received a COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, Dec. 14.
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Matt Sebastian, The Denver Post (pool)

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