‘You could feel the vibe,’ doc says of getting vaccine
Dr. Corina Marcu wants to set an example.
Marcu, associate vice president of medical affairs at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, received the COVID-19 vaccine
Monday morning.
Marcu was among the first in Connecticut to receive the vaccine as part of the rollout by Hartford HealthCare, the health system that includes St. Vincent’s.
Marcu was selected as the first St. Vincent’s employee to get the shot, because she will be part of the team leading vaccinations at the hospital.
A 23-year-employee of St. Vincent’s, Marcu said she knows there are concerns about the vaccine, but it’s vital for to help
stop the spread of the illness.
“It’s not the time play into conspiracy theories and fear,” she said. “We want to stop the waves of infections and deaths (from COVID-19). That’s the most important thing right now.”
About 200 doses are expected to arrive at St. Vincent’s Tuesday morning, Marcu said.
Vaccinations are expected to start with emergency
department staff, those in intensive care units, and “any area that’s going to take care of COVID patients,” Marcu said.
While some have raised concerns about potential side effects, including soreness at the injection site, fever and flu-like symptoms, Marcu said those symptoms are temporary and common with most vaccines.
“We see it with the flu
shot — getting a sore arm,” she said. “With a pneumonia vaccine, you can get a sore arm.”
And so far, Marcu said, her experience with the COVID-19 shot was remarkably routine. The process of getting the shot only took a few minutes, and “the needle was so small, I didn’t feel hardly anything,” Marcu said. “I think the flu shot hurt more.”
Though she got the shot outside on a cold, rainy morning, Marcu said, there was a sense of relief. “It was exciting — you could feel the vibe in the air,” she said.
Two doses of the COVID vaccine are required, weeks apart. Marcu said she expects all 200 doses being delivered to St. Vincent’s to be used for a first round of vaccinations, and a new supply is expected in time for the second dose.
Marcu is married, with a 17-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son, and she said there is some relief that she will be at lower risk of passing COVID-19 to her family.
“It does give me some peace of mind that I’m not bringing anything home,” she said. “Obviously, it’s important that we’re all protected in all walks of life.”