Vail Health photo.
Amid cameras and applause, Vail Health Hospital administered its first COVID-19 vaccine Wednesday to Lead Respiratory Therapist Julie Scales.
Scales’ personal experience with COVID-19 made her the ideal recipient for the ceremonial first shot, said Vail Health Director of Public Relations Sally Welsh.
Scales tested positive for COVID-19 on March 14, a few days before nearby Vail Mountain shut down due to the virus.
“It was very scary,” she said. “It was just so new.”
Scales visited the Vail ER and was transferred to a Denver area hospital the following day, where she was placed on a ventilator for seven days. Her daughter, who also lives in Eagle County, was with her emotionally through the process, and upon receiving the vaccine on Wednesday, Scales’ first reaction was to embrace her daughter.
Vail Health Safety Manager Kimberly Flynn and Vail Health Population Health Director Chris Lindley are joined by Airman First Class Samuel Weber of the Colorado National Guard in receiving the first shipment of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Vail Health on Tuesday. The vaccine arrived at 12 p.m. and will be prepped for Vail Health to begin administering on Wednesday morning
Ben Gadberry, Vail Health.
Eagle County received its first shipment of the coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday at Vail Health Hospital in Vail.
The first dose will be administered to a health care worker on Wednesday, said Sally Welsh with Vail Health.