Who was the first health worker to get the COVID vaccine in Florida? There was confusion
Who was the first person to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida?
At first, it looked like 31-year-old Vanessa Arroyo, a nurse at Tampa General Hospital. Now it appears that it was Dr. Leon L. Haley Jr., the CEO of UF Health Jacksonville and the dean of the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville.
“This is a humbling moment,” Haley said in a statement. “I’d like to extend my deep appreciation on behalf of all of our front-line caregivers, here and around the world, for their resilience and heroism. This is an important step today in our battle to end this pandemic ...”
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The 56-year-old board-certified emergency room physician rolled up his sleeve and received his first dose of the new Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at 10:39 a.m., according to UF Health.
That’s about 48 minutes earlier than Arroyo, who received her shot during Gov. Ron DeSantis conference at Tampa General Hospital Monday morning.
What caused the confusion?
Looks like it was a statement DeSantis made during the news conference, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
“Let’s actually get some shots in arms. You’re going to see the first shot, right here, right now,” he said.
Moments later, Arroyo’s sleeve was rolled up.
The two healthcare workers are some of the first to receive the vaccine in Florida and will get their second vaccine dose in three weeks.
Who received the first COVID-19 vaccine in South Florida?
The honor went to critical care Memorial Healthcare System specialist Aharon Sareli.
“Masks and social distancing were the only weapons we had up until to this time,” Sareli said. “But with the emergence of the [vaccines], we really stand a chance to change the trajectory of this virus.”
Vaccines will first go to healthcare workers at five Florida hospitals, including Jackson Health System in Miami-Dade County and Memorial Healthcare System in southern Broward County, followed by staff and residents at long-term care facilities.
Jackson Health System in Miami-Dade County and Advent Health Orlando are expected to receive their vaccine shipments Tuesday.
Miami Herald staff writer Ben Conarck contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 14, 2020 at 4:41 PM.
