Rapid City, SD – Dr. Steve Dick is the first person to get his shot in Rapid City. Dr. Steve is a emergency medicine director and a physician at Monument Health.
Dr. Steve said:
“For the emergency room staff, the ICU staff, the hospitals, all the different answering services, everyday is a day of uncertainty and fear. The feeling that that’s been washed away in some ways, a small amount now but seeing it in the future and it’s a great feeling for my team.”
Monument Health is giving the vaccinations in phases. Phase 1A includes: hospital doctors and nurses who provide medical care for COVID-19 patients.
As well as, nursing home staff.
“And I feel really really great and excited to be one of the first people to get this,” Squillace said.
Joseph Squillace is a registered nurse for the COVID-19 ICU. After getting his vaccination, Squillace says he feels just fine so far.
“It was just like any other vaccine that I’ve ever gotten. If anything, it maybe was less painful and I feel perfectly normal, I’m not having any allergic reactions,” Squillace said.
Everyone who received the vaccine today will get a second shot in 21 days.
Both Squillace and Dr. Dick say they encourage others to get vaccinated once it’s available for them.
“Just the last months with my team and the fear, the isolation, and the stress, this felt good,” Steve said.
Tuesday at 7 a.m., there will be another round of COVID-19 vaccines in ‘Phase 1A’ for nursing home staff.
The vaccinations are not mandatory for caregivers. However, Monument Health strongly encourages all of those in the priority groups to consider taking it.
