First person to get COVID-19 shot in Wisconsin speaks on anniversary
(WLUK) -- The first person to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Wisconsin says she remains hopeful that Americans can get through the pandemic together.
Tina Schubert, a respiratory therapist at UW-Health, is reflecting back to her first COVID-19 shot, which was administered one year ago.
She says before she received the vaccine, she was really scared when taking care of COVID-19 patients.
“When this pandemic started, I was scared. But now that I’ve received the vaccine, I became more empowered that, hey, I can do this. I don’t have to be fearful. They’re looking to me to help them. I can walk into that room confident now," she said. "I feel like I’m a better therapist now because I’m doing something right and I’m trying to set that example and I’m trying to help my patients and they’re looking to me for answers and one of the answers for me is I received the vaccine.”
And to those who are still vaccine hesitant, she says just trust the scientists and doctors; it’s their job, it’s what they went to school for.
“Look at me, I received it. The first shot, December 14, 2020. Here it is, a year later and I’m fine, I’m fine and there are other people that received the vaccine as well, they’re fine. Get it done, let’s get through this pandemic,” she said. “At the beginning of this pandemic, we kept saying, we’re all in this together. We are physically all in this together. I get the vaccine, you get the vaccine, tell your neighbor to get the vaccine. Let’s get through this. I want to have a normal life too.”
According to the state, since Dec. 14, 2020, more than two-thirds of Wisconsin adults have been fully vaccinated and nearly 90,000 children ages 5 through 11 have received at least one dose.
In one year, more than 6.8 million COVID-19 primary series doses have been administered to more than 3.5 million people.
