Professor Maria Rosaria Capobianchi, nurse Claudia Alivernini and social health worker Omar Altobelli, were the first in Italy to receive the Covid-19 vaccine this morning at the National Institute for Spallanzani Infectious Diseases in Rome.
"I am aware that today is an important and decisive day. Science and medicine are the only things that will allow us to get out of this virus. I say it with my heart, get vaccinated," said the nurse.
The anti-Covid vaccine to the first three Italians at Spallanzani
The doses of the anti Covid vaccine have been distributed throughout Italy and today there will
also
be
the first vaccinations in the symbolic places
of the pandemic.
THE FIRST CARS FOR CODOGNO ARE STARTED
"I feel great. The choice was quite a natural choice. I offered to be vaccinated and I was chosen among the first as a symbol to say to trust and believe in this choice. I think it is an example for other health professionals but also for the whole population, "said Capobianchi, director of the virology laboratory of Spallanzani first vaccinated in Italy, who participated in diagnosing the first Covid-19 infection.
"We have to trust science, we can't get out. The choices made are weighted and made on the basis of scientific evaluations."
"I feel excited, and physically great."
Thus the social health operator Omar Altobelli.
"I did the vaccine to protect myself because if I am well I can be sure that even those close to me are fine. We hope to have been an example for everyone", he said interviewed by Sky Tg24.
"Now facing Covid patients will be different. A message of hope and trust in science certainly begins today, from today there is the vaccine, we look to the future in a much more positive way, positive in a good way".
With Alessandra Vergari and Alessandra D'Abramo, two doctors, the doctors and health personnel vaccinated up to now at Spallanzani have risen to 5 on the first day of the vaccination campaign against Covid-19, which will become 130 in the whole day. "Today at Spallanzani other people will be vaccinated, in all 130 - said the Spallanzani health director, Francesco Vaia - who will then become the 'vaccinators' of the whole region".
THE VACCINE DAY IS STARTED ALL OVER EUROPE
"Today Italy wakes up #Vaccineday. This date will remain with us forever. We start with health workers and the most vulnerable groups and then extend to the entire population the possibility of obtaining immunity and definitively defeating this virus".
So the Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on twitter on the day of V-Day in Italy and Europe.
"
It is a day that we have been waiting for in time
".
Health Minister Roberto Speranza said this immediately after the first three vaccinations at Spallanzani in Rome.
"The light is coming but we have to hold out for a few more months. It's not over yet and we always need to respect the rules".
"Today is a day of hope, but we still have months of a tough battle ahead of us".
The leader of the Democratic Party and president of the Lazio Region Nicola Zingaretti at Spallanzani says this after the first vaccines.
"Today is the beginning of a new phase - he added -
but it will be long to get results, because millions of people will have to be vaccinated
. We need a mass campaign that will reach people in a few months".
The 9,750 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine delivered to all European countries today for vaccine day are a "symbolic" number.
The actual distribution - says the Ministry of Health in a note -
will start from the week that begins on December 28 and about 470 thousand doses will arrive in Italy every week
.
"
The vaccine is free for all but not mandatory
".
Thus the extraordinary commissioner Domenico Arcuri at the Spallanzani in Rome where the first three anti Covid-19 vaccinations started.
"I think - said Arcuri - that the numbers of vaccinated people will be much higher than we think. Italians are much better than how we try to represent them".
"For herd immunity - said Arcuri - 80% of Italians need to be vaccinated".
And he adds: "We must remain cautious, patient and responsible. The battle is still very long, we must not delude ourselves that everything is over, but there is finally a vaccine. Today is a good day we must be grateful to science and ask everyone citizens to be responsible ".
And answering a question about when he'll get vaccinated: "I'll get vaccinated when it's my turn. I don't think I'm entitled to any privileges."