For one state lawmaker and several dozen medical personnel in Denver, immunization against COVID-19 represented “the light at the end of the tunnel.”

“I legislate based on science. I trust the science and I trust our public health experts who spend their life doing this,” said Rep. Kyle Mullica, D-Northglenn, after his vaccination at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center on Wednesday morning. “That’s why I’m here today, to show that it’s safe and this is the way we’re gonna get through this and I’m at the front of the line because I trust the science behind this.”

Mullica is an emergency room nurse who, prior to the pandemic, sponsored bills to try to boost Colorado’s low rates of childhood vaccination. He said he did not know what to wear for the immunization, but settled on his work scrubs because his status as a frontline health care worker was the reason he was receiving one of the first doses of the groundbreaking vaccine.

“The excitement is overwhelming. Seeing the harm that has come to our community from this and to be actually able to see that light at the end of the tunnel is so exciting because it’s been hard,” he said. “Really this is the solution to it. This is how we’re going to get out of this.”

St. Luke’s received 975 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, for which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted an emergency use authorization on Friday. The vaccine comes via a two-dose inoculation, and St. Luke’s expects the shipment of the second dose within weeks.

On Wednesday, the first day of shots at the medical center in central Denver, employees rode a single elevator to the top floor to receive immunizations. Only at-risk staff and those who interact directly with COVID-19 patients were eligible initially. 

“I have definitely shed a few tears during this process,” said Laura-Anne Cleveland, associate chief nursing officer. She expected to receive her inoculation later this week or the following week, as immunizations will occur every day, 14 hours per day.

“I think it’s a little disheartening how polarized of an issue it is,” she said of the pandemic. “That’s hard for us on the front lines. But we absolutely feel supported.”

Grief and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder have appeared in frontline medical workers as the death toll has accelerated around them. Cleveland, who is also the incident commander for hospital and part of the vaccine work group, said St. Luke’s has helped its workers stave off depression and exhaustion during the past nine months. Some departments even receive stickers and coloring books to get their minds off of their immediate work.

Claire Meconi, a speech language pathologist at the hospital, received her shot shortly before 10 a.m. She said it was not nearly as bad as her regular flu inoculation. Although Pfizer has reported an effectiveness of the vaccine in excess of 90%, it is uncertain whether vaccinated individuals may still pass on the novel coronavirus to others. As such, Meconi said she will continue to wear masks and maintain distance.

“I think everyone should be vaccinated. Is that bad to say? People shouldn’t be hesitant,” she said. “Even though people consider it rushed, it’s very studied and I feel it’s going to be very effective.”

Recently, Meconi contracted COVID-19, and likened it to a bad head cold in her case. She believes she contracted it in the community, not at work. 

“I feel like those people who choose to attend gatherings are putting others at risk and I think it’s selfish,” she said. Still, she was not angry at the behavior of others.

As of Wednesday, COVID-19 had killed over 305,000 Americans. Although other countries have been successful at eradicating or controlling the spread of the disease without the aid of a vaccine, the United States has failed at preventive measures, leading many to see a highly-effective vaccine as the only hope.

“For those who have already received the vaccine and the staff preparing to receive the vaccine, may it become a beacon of light in the midst of darkness, uncertainty and troubling times,” said Chaplain Mike Guthrie, a Presbyterian minister and director of spiritual care and volunteer services at the hospital. He gave a blessing of the vaccine, the workers administering it and the hospital staff.

Colorado began vaccinating health care workers on Monday, and will receive 46,800 initial doses. The FDA is preparing to authorize another vaccine from Moderna. Pfizer’s vaccine arrives as a frozen liquid. Pharmacists then thaw and dilute it, and administer it like any other vaccine.

Pursuant to the vaccine’s regulations, employees receiving their shots needed to wait for 15 minutes in an area for observation, in case they exhibited adverse reactions. No one did.

Guthrie himself received an inoculation after delivering the blessing. He said the only thing that will change for him going forward is the peace of mind that accompanies the vaccine. At the beginning of the pandemic, he worked to allow visitors for patients at the end-of-life stage. The biggest request he gets from family members was to pray for their loved ones.

“The people that are in the hospital fighting COVID are very scared and very isolated,” Guthrie said. “And so the ability to be able to put on the [personal protective equipment], to go in, to look them in the eyes, to give them spiritual support, to hear them and their anxiety is extremely important because they know they’re not alone.”