The New Normal: Dr. David Battinelli discusses vaccines and distribution

The first rounds of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine have arrived in the tri-state.

News 12 Staff

Dec 14, 2020, 4:04 PM

Updated 1,456 days ago

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The first rounds of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine have arrived in the tri-state.
As News 12 reported, the FDA authorized emergency use of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine on Friday night, setting in motion the logistically challenging process of getting the first doses to states safely and quickly.
The first in line to get the vaccination are doctors and nurses in critical care, and the ER department, because of their exposure to COVID-19 patients. Also on the top of the list are EMS workers and nursing home residents and staff.
The U.S. plans to distribute 40 million vaccine doses by the end of the year, and another 50 to 80 million doses in January and February.
This morning, News 12's Elizabeth Hashagen was joined by Dr. David Battinelli to discuss the vaccines and its distribution. Dr. Battinelli is the chief medical officer for Northwell Health.
Dr. Battinelli talks about what happened after the FDA gave emergency authorization for the vaccines:
How do you determine which caregivers are first in line? Watch what Dr. Battinelli had to say:
Trial results have shown that the shots frequently produce side effects that, while not debilitating, could cause symptoms that might keep someone home for a day or two, such as fever, muscle aches or fatigue. This is what the doctor said about the side effects: