Pikeville Medical Center wasted no time this week in putting to use its share of the first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer, with two frontline physicians stepping up to be the first to receive their first dose. During an event on Dec. 15, Dr. Fadi Al Akhrass, the hospitalâs infectious disease specialist, and Emergency Department physician Dr. John Fleming both rolled up their sleeves and took the first of two doses of the vaccine. As of presstime on Dec. 17, Al Akhrass reported to the News-Express he had experienced no side effects or issues with the vaccine, which he said during the Dec. 15 event is vital to a return to normalcy.