Coronavirus Vaccine Arrives At Stony Brook University Hospital

STONY BROOK, NY — Stony Brook University Hospital received the coronavirus vaccine and has begun vaccinating hospital workers at the highest risk of exposure, according to a news release. Front-liners at the hospital have cared for thousands of patients battling COVID-19 since the breakout earlier this year.

Kisa King, resident in the Department of Emergency Medicine, received the hospital's first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday. Ian Pak, a pharmacist at Stony Brook University Hospital, administered the dose.

"I am so excited and thankful to be a part of the solution," King said via a release. "Not only does this mean that I can continue delivering care to my patients, but it also means I am providing protection to my family, friends and community."

Based on guidance from the New York State Department of Health (DOH), more than 250 personnel working in emergency rooms, critical care units and other high-risk hospital units were scheduled to receive the vaccine at SBUH by the end of Tuesday. The vaccine administration will be staggered to ensure staff has the ability to continue providing necessary patient care. Stony Brook Medicine expects to receive additional doses of vaccine in the coming weeks.

The vaccine comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued the first emergency use authorization (EUA) for a vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 in people 16 years or older. The emergency use authorization allows the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be distributed in the United States. The vaccine has been found to be more than 90 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 after two doses.