Health officials hope people choose to take the coronavirus vaccine

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) 

University of Missouri Health Care vaccinated its first frontline health care workers with the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine Wednesday.

MU Health Care pediatric infectious disease specialist Christelle Ilboudo was first in line to receive the vaccine. She said she knows people are skeptical about the vaccine coming out quickly, but hopes people will still take it.

"We have never had a vaccine come out this fast, but even though this vaccine went through the processes fast it does not take away from meeting those standards," she said.

Alyssa Neitzer, an emergency services employee for St. Mary's Hospital, was the first to take the vaccine at the hospital Tuesday. She said she felt safe.

"COVID-19 can be an extremely dangerous disease for many people. We have seen an extreme amount of suffering and death and I feel completely safe having taken this vaccine today," she said.

ABC 17 News asked several people if they would take the vaccine when it becomes available, and four out of 15 people said they do not plan to take it.

Morgan Atwell, a student at the University of Missouri, is nervous to take the vaccine right away.

"I don't plan on taking it at first, but eventually I do plan on taking it, I am more of a skeptic of it right now, just because it is a brand new thing," she said. "I want to see how it affects others before I put it into my body.

Karen Truckey, a Columbia resident, said she is excited to take the vaccine.

"I am excited to take it when it's my turn," she said. "I want everybody else who are in higher-risk populations to get it first, and then when it's my time I'll be excited to take it."

MU Health plans to give roughly 440 vaccines each day for the next seven days.