It was a nine-month wait for a moment that unfolded in seconds.
With a swab of an arm and the prick of a needle, a health-care worker on Tuesday became the first person in British Columbia to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, kicking off the provincial leg of a nationwide vaccination campaign that promises an end to the pandemic.
Nisha Yunus, a 64-year-old residential care aide, received the shot shortly after 1 p.m. PT at a vaccination site in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.
Before receiving the shot, Yunus was met with applause by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Dr. Ross Brown, who is leading the province's vaccine rollout.
A nurse swabbed the worker's arm and asked her to take a deep breath. Seconds later, the needle went in.
The nurse then applied a bandage and applause broke out. Henry gave Yunus an elbow bump as cameras flashed.
Yunus initially agreed to an interview on site, but later changed her mind and declined.
Henry has said the rollout is the "most complex and comprehensive immunization program ever delivered in B.C."
The first shipment of 3,900 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to arrive in B.C. will go to health-care workers and long-term care staff.
Yunus has worked as a residential care aide for 41 years at a Vancouver Coastal Health facility.
2 vaccine sites set up
The shots, which arrived in B.C. on Sunday night, are being administered at two vaccination locations: the first in the Fraser Health region, which includes the cities of Surrey and Burnaby, and the second in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, which includes Greater Vancouver, Whistler and the Sunshine Coast.
As of next week, the vaccine will be available in each of B.C.'s health authorities, as more vaccination sites get up and running.
Earlier Tuesday, the federal government announced Canada could receive 168,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine by the end of December.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Health Canada is in its final stages of review for the new, "promising" vaccine, with a decision expected as early as this week.
Trudeau said deliveries can begin within two days of Health Canada's approval.
The first Canadian to get the new Pfizer-BioTech vaccine received her shot on Monday. Gisèle Lévesque, 89, rolled up her sleeve at a nursing home in Quebec City.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiVmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNiYy5jYS9uZXdzL2NhbmFkYS9icml0aXNoLWNvbHVtYmlhL2ZpcnN0LWNvdmlkLTE5LXZhY2NpbmUtaW4tYmMtMS41ODQyNDU10gEgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY2JjLmNhL2FtcC8xLjU4NDI0NTU?oc=5
2020-12-15 22:45:00Z
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