Hackensack Meridian Health administered its inaugural Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines Tuesday to various frontline workers.

“The COVID-19 vaccine is our safest, best shot at ending this pandemic,” said Chief Physician Executive Daniel Varga in a prepared statement. “Together and for each other, we need to get vaccinated as soon as the vaccine is available and can’t forget to mask up and keep our distance. We’ve come too far and are too close to defeating COVID-19 and have to stay vigilant now more than ever.”

Emergency medicine physicians Dr. Kameno Bell, Director of Respiratory Services Reyna Berroa, Cardiac Unit Nurse Manager Patricia Gardner, Environmental Services Group Leader Rafaelina Moran, Emergency medicine physician Dr. Greg Sugalski, and HMH University Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lisa Tank were the first to receive the vaccine, launching the hospital system’s frontline workers vaccine deployment program for physicians, nurses and staff members working in direct contact with COVID-19 patients.

All have been on the front lines at Hackensack Meridian since the pandemic’s onset. At least one of the initial recipients, Bell, had a mild case of COVID-19 in the spring.

“I’m getting vaccinated today for my colleagues who are on the frontlines of this pandemic, and everyone impacted by COVID-19,” Tank said. “This is the beginning of the end for COVID-19 and we’ll only be successful in eradicating the pandemic if citizens across New Jersey do their part. We owe it to the frontline teams who are risking their lives to treat the virus.”

Hackensack Meridian Health received a limited supply of the vaccine to be distributed among its network in accordance with CDC guidelines, which will require two injections at least 21 days apart. Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine has demonstrated 95-percent efficacy against infection, according to the announcement.