Frontline healthcare workers keep video diary after receiving COVID-19 vaccine
CHICAGO (WLS) -- You've seen videos of frontline healthcare workers getting their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine all week, so ABC 7 asked a few of them to document their journey so you have an idea of what to expect when you get your shot.
"I haven't seen my dad since March. It's December, so it means a lot," said Rush University Hospital Emergency Room nurse Bill Kneitz.
ABC 7 was there Thursday as Kneitz received his first CCOVID-19 vaccine inoculation. After the shot that only takes a few seconds, and a few minutes of monitoring, he's right back to work.
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"Going right back to the emergency room. It's what we do. All of us keep going. This just helps us keep going," Kneitz said referring to the vaccine.
Kneitz said the shot itself isn't bad at all. Two hours after his inoculation, "everything is going great and a lot of people in the ER have now been vaccinated so it's been a great day for all of us."
Eight hours from the injection Kneitz was, "feeling pretty good. No side effects. No headaches, no body aches, but we'll see how it goes in the morning."
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Friday morning, Kneitz reported some minor effects that health experts said means the vaccine is working.
"Today I woke up with a headache, which is rare for me, and at the site of the injection, there's a little pain. But other than that, I'm doing OK," he said. "People here who are working with me have varying things from absolutely nothing, to injection site pain, to full nausea and body aches.
Kneitz said he took some Tylenol, went about his day, and as of Friday afternoon, "no headache, (I'm) feeling really really good, and looking forward to the second one because that one kinda means freedom," he said.
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University of Chicago Dr. Tara Henderson also documented her vaccine journey, and it is clearly meaningful.
"I can't shake the tears in my eyes as I walk to go get my vaccine," Dr. Henderson said. "Medicine and science continually astound me at how in the darkest hour we can come together to do great things."
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She got her vaccine Friday morning with joy.
"I couldn't be more excited," she said.
Again, medical experts said you could experience some mild side effects, but that means the vaccine is working, and anything more severe is very rare.
The video featured is from a previous report.
