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Upstate Medical University Hospital will begin administering the COVID-19 vaccine to select Syracuse area residents Tuesday.

The hospital received its first shipment of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine Tuesday morning, according to a press release. More than 300 local participants have enrolled to receive the vaccine from Upstate, which is a clinical trial site for the vaccine.

“Widespread vaccination with safe and efficacious vaccines, combined with ramping up masking and avoiding gatherings, could dramatically impact our state’s epidemic curve,” said Stephen Thomas, Upstate’s chief of infectious diseases, who is also a principal investigator for the Pfizer vaccine.

The arrival of the vaccine could signal a turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic, Upstate officials said in the release. It also comes as numbers of active cases and hospitalizations from the virus have surged in Onondaga County and across the country in recent weeks. 

Despite the celebration of the vaccine’s arrival, Upstate officials urged the Syracuse community to maintain vigilance in preventing the virus’ spread by continuing to wear masks and limiting gathering sizes.

“There is great hope for us all with the arrival of the vaccine,” Upstate CEO Robert Corona said in the release. “But I will echo my colleagues that until we gain widespread vaccination, we must continue to take all precautions to keep this virus at bay within our local communities and our families.”

Published on December 15, 2020 at 1:53 pm

Contact Sarah: [email protected] | @sarahalessan