Coral Springs, Florida – Broward Health Coral Springs began inoculating its team of frontline caregivers with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, December 23, 2020.
Terri Dutts, RN, nurse manager of the COVID unit at Broward Health Coral Springs, was the first to receive the vaccine.
"This is an amazing opportunity and means so much to those on the frontline. I can’t wait for all of my fellow healthcare workers to also get vaccinated," said Dutts, who noted afterward that the Moderna vaccine was more comfortable to receive than the flu vaccine. "While we continue to take care of those in our community who have COVID, we’ll be safe and can now go home to our families at night knowing that we have an extra layer of protection."
Nirit Swerdloff, M.D., an emergency room physician at Broward Health Coral Springs, was second in line.
"This feels tremendous," she said. "On behalf of everyone who takes care of patients in this hospital, I want to say that it’s so great to have an extra layer of protection and a real start to fight this virus."
Administering the first doses of the Moderna vaccine at Broward Health Coral Springs was Employee Health Practitioner Aisha Haughton, APRN.
"As an employee health nurse, it felt amazing to begin vaccinating our staff against the virus," she said. "They pour their hearts and souls into their jobs, and it’s really important that they’re protected so today feels just great."
"It’s a very exciting day for us because this vaccine means that we are turning the corner in our fight against COVID," said Kutty Chandran, M.D., chief medical officer of Broward Health Coral Springs. "The vaccine will make a tremendous difference in containing the pandemic."