Austin doctor shares her experience with Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine

Gov. Greg Abbott says Texas has distributed over 200,000 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. One Austin doctor who received the vaccine says she’s been waiting for this moment for a long time. 

"The vaccine arrived on Monday, and then I received it on Wednesday," said Aliza Norwood, M.D, Assistant Professor for Internal Medicine & Population Health with Dell Medical School.

RELATED: Abbott: Texas has distributed 224,000 doses of vaccine so far

The Pfizer vaccine arrived in Austin Monday morning. Healthcare officials are one of the first groups to receive the vaccine. Dr. Norwood with Dell Medical School says she’s excited to be part of this first wave.

"I think for all healthcare professionals who have been working on the frontlines of this crisis, we've seen just so many horrible things happen to our colleagues and our patients and our communities, and so this vaccine coming this quickly, and being so effective, is really, really exciting," said Dr. Norwood.

Dr. Norwood says the process was simple and can be easily compared to getting a flu shot. 

RELATED: COVID-19 vaccine FAQ: Can vaccinated people still spread the coronavirus? Should they wear masks?

"[The nurse] took the needle and syringe, and she put it in my left arm. I didn't feel a thing, it was a very tiny needle, and then afterwards, she put on a bandaid. I didn't feel anything for about, say five hours, and then I started getting some arm soreness, which is expected and that's really been my only symptom so far," said Dr. Norwood.

She says the only difference between the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine, is the Pfizer vaccine requires two doses. "The reason the second dose is important because in some vaccines, you have to prime the immune system, but it's not quite enough and so it acts as a booster," she said. 

Dr. Norwood says she did her research before getting the vaccine and says the benefits did outweigh the cons by a lot. Plus, she says the vaccine is incredibly safe. "About 4% of people in the Moderna vaccine trial had any severe symptoms, and actually only 1.5% in the Pfizer trial," she said.

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Dr. Norwood hopes to encourage others to get the vaccine once it becomes available.

"There's two main reasons to get the vaccine. One is to protect yourself so that you do not get sick, and then the other, which I would say is equal is equally as important for a society, is so that you don't get infected and therefore don't give it to other people," said Dr. Norwood.

Dr. Norwood says she will receive her second dose in early January.

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