>> THANK YOU.

>> NOW WE CHECK BACK IN WITH

AMANDA VINICKY WHO SPENT THE DAY

ON CHICAGO'S WEST SIDE IN AUSTIN

AT LORETTO HOSPITAL WHERE THE

FIRST COVID-19 VACCINES WERE

ADMINISTERED IN THE CITY TODAY.

AMANDA?

>> YES, BRANDIS.

A COUPLE HOURS AGO I SPOKE WITH

MARK HOOKS A REGISTERED NURSE

HERE AT THE LORETTO HOSPITAL.

HE HAS WORKED HERE FOR A YEAR

AND HE IS AMONG THE HANDFUL OF

THE MEDICAL WORKERS WHO TODAY

THERE IN THAT BUILDING GOT THAT

FIRST DOSE OF THE PFIZER VACCINE

HERE IN CHICAGO.

AND I STARTED OUT BY ASKING

HOOKS HOW IS IT FEELING AFTER

THAT SHOT?

>> I FEEL AMAZING.

I FEEL GREAT.

I FEEL EXCITED PHYSICALLY, I

DON'T HAVE SYMPTOMS.

VERY SLIGHT SORE INNOCENCE MY

LEFT ARM AROUND THE INJECTION

SITE.

I FEEL GREAT.

>> LIKE IF YOU WHEN YOU GET THE

FLU SHOT?

>> YES.

A FLU SHOT OR ANY MEDICINE WE

GIVE DIFFERENT MEDICATIONS INTO

THE MUSCLE SIMILAR TO THE FLU

SHOT FOR SURE.

>> ARE YOU AT ALL UNEASY KNOWING

HOW THE VACCINE WAS FAST TRACKED

AND JUST FRIGHTENED ABOUT

ANYTHING LONG-TERM?

>> I'M NOT CONCERNED AT ALL.

THIS HAS BEEN STUDIED.

SO VERY GRATEFUL THERE WERE SO

MANY VOLUNTEERS WHO WERE WILLING

TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY OF

THIS COMING UP TO THE RELEASE.

BUT NO IT'S BEEN STUDIED AND

CLEARED BY THE FDA.

I'VE TALKED TO MY PHYSICIAN AND

SEVERAL OF OUR PHYSICIANS HERE.

AND STUDIED ON MY OWN AND FEEL

IT'S SAFE I HAVE NO CONCERNS

MOVING FORWARD.

>> FIRST PRIORITY WAS GIVEN TO

THOSE IN THE HEALTHCARE FIELD

WORKING WITH CORONAVIRUS

PATIENTS.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE

WITH THAT.

THAT'S GOT TO BE VERY HEAVY.

>> IT IS.

FIRST OF ALL, WE DEAL WITH VERY

SICK PATIENTS ON A REGULAR BASIS

PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC.

IS SO WE ARE USED TO SEEING

PEOPLE WHEN THEY ARE IN THEIR

TOUGHEST SPOT.

CORONAVIRUS HAS BEEN ANOTHER

LEVEL OF SUFFERING OF PAIN AND

ALL THE PATIENTS ARE COMING IN

THEY DON'T HAVE FAMILY WITH

THEM.

THEY DON'T HAVE ANY LOVED ONES

BY THEIR BEDSIDE BECAUSE OF

VISITOR RESTRICTIONS.

THAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST PART

THEY HAVE BEEN SUFFERING ALONE.

WE DO OUR BEST TO BE AT THEIR

BEDSIDE AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO

COMFORT THEM AND REASSURE THEM

AND THAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST

PART.

ON TOP OF THAT WE HAVE SEEN SO

MANY INCREDIBLY SICK PEOPLE.

WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO

GETTING TO A POINT WHERE

EVERYONE CAN GET VACCINATED WHO

WANTS TO AND MOVE ON PAST THIS

PANDEMIC.

>> ALMOST AS IF YOU ARE NOT ONLY

AN RN BUT A HOSPICE NURSE AS

WELL.

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHEN

YOU HAVE TO BE THERE?

WHEN THEY ARE ALONE AND HURTING?

>> YES.

SO I JUST REASSURE THEM AGAIN

AND AGAIN THAT WE'RE HERE FOR

THEM.

IF THEY NEED ANYTHING WE LEAVE

THEIR CALL LIGHT BY THE BEDSIDE.

I'M NOT AFRAID TO GO IN THEIR

ROOM IF THEY ARE COVID POSITIVE

I PUT ON THE PPE GEAR AND GO IN

THERE BECAUSE THAT IS OUR

PRIORITY.

SO I TRY TO REASSURE THEM THAT

WE'RE THERE FOR THEM THAT IS OUR

PURPOSE TO BE THERE AND MAKE

THEM COMFORTABLE IN ANYWAY WE

CAN.

AND TRY TO ENGAGE WITH THEM AND

TRY TO UNDERSTAND THEIR LIVES

BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE FAMILY

THERE I TRY TO UNDERSTAND A

LITTLE BIT MORE THAN I WOULD

PREVIOUSLY.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO THEY ARE.

SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT SOMEONE

IS THERE LISTENING AND CONCERNED

AND WANTS TO --

>> HOW WILL THE VACCINE CHANGE

THINGS PARTICULARLY ONCE YOU'VE

GOTTEN THAT SECOND DOSE AND

PRESUMABLY DON'T HAVE TO

PERSONALLY FEAR GETTING COVID

ANYMORE?

>> IT WON'T PEEDLY CHANGE

ANYTHING FOR ME.

--

IMMEDIATELY CHANGE ANYTHING FOR

ME.

I NEED TO PROTECT OTHER PEOPLE.

I NEED TO BE AN EXAMPLE TO

EVERYONE ELSEWHERING A MASK.

I DON'T WANT TO BE WALKING DOWN

THE STREET AND PEOPLE SAY THAT

LOOKS LIKE THAT NURSE I SAW AT

THE HOSPITAL AND HE IS NOT

WEARING A MASK.

IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE UNTIL

THE NUMBERS GO DOWN AND PUBLIC

HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE TELL US

IT'S SAFE TO NOT WEAR A MASK AND

THAT IS QUITE A WAYS AWAY.

I WILL FEEL COMFORTABLE WE WILL

NOT HAVE STAFF CALLING IN SICK

WE HAVE HAD STAFF MEMBERS WHO

WERE SICK AND SOME VERY SICK AND

HOSPITALIZED.

SO IN ORDER FOR US TO CONTINUE

TO BE ABLE TO BE PRESENT FOR THE

PATIENTS, THIS IS GOING TO BE

GREAT FOR OUR STAFF.

>> BECAUSE ONLY IF MEDICAL STAFF

ARE HEALTHY WILL THEY BE ABLE TO

WORK TO TRY TO GET THEIR

PATIENTS TO BE SO AS WELL.

FOLKS WHO LIVE NEARBY SAY

PERHAPS THE AREA NEARBY THE

LORETTO HOSPITAL HAS SUFFERED

THE MOST IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO

FROM COVID.

BUT HE SAYS TODAY WAS A GREAT