DOTHAN, Ala. – Dr. Ashley Elizabeth Jackson was the first female physician to receive the vaccine in the state of Alabama. Receiving her vaccine at about 8:18 a.m. Tuesday morning at Southeast Health, Dr. Jackson said this is more than just a vaccine, this is a light at the end of the dark journey they have been facing.
“I know myself, I said please I want to make sure I’m first at the list,” Dr. Jackson said. “I want to be there and get that and just show people that it’s a safe thing to do and it’s something we all need to do.”
Dr. Jackson has been a physician at Southeast Health for over a year and a half.
“Tears fill up in my eyes because we have all waited for this moment to where we could finally have that piece of the puzzle,” Dr. Jackson said.
Dr. Jackson said she feels gratitude after receiving the vaccine. She said it is humbling to know that after dedicating many years of hard work to be a physician in the house of medicine and to have the the privilege of caring for people in their most vulnerable moments in life, she is now able to encourage other with information and hopefully inspire them.
“Of course I have a little discomfort in my my arm, but that just means that’s where the vaccine is working and it feels good to me,” Dr. Jackson said.
Working on the frontlines during this virus, taking care of ICU patients and patients on the Covid floor.
“Those have been just extremely, extremely sick and many of them have not been able to leave the hospital as they passed away,” Dr. Jackson said.
Dr. Jackson encourages others to get the vaccine when their time comes.
“Please do so,” Dr. Jackson said. “It’s the only way that we can get to herd immunity. If we can get at least 70 to 75 percent of the people in the population to take the vaccine. It’s your way you can help part of this pandemic and try to reduce that.”
As phase one of distribution of this vaccine is underway, Dr. Jackson said she knows people have had some fears and reservations about the vaccine, but this could be the most important thing people can do to stop this virus.
“It’s been amazing that science and technology and innovation, the community has been able to come together to create something and test it repeatedly and create this safe vaccine,” Dr. Jackson said.
Alabama continues to see surges of this virus. Dr. Jackson said she is ready to continue to work on the frontlines along with the entire team.
“It’s really a team effort, that’s what medicine is, and it’s from physicians to the nurses, to custodial staff, the cafeteria workers, respiratory therapy, lab tech imaging, we all come together in particularly in an emergency situation when they call overhead in the hospital I mean it’s amazing to see just a team of people are there within 30 seconds at the bedside all to work towards a common goal, to help someone survive and survive in a meaningful way,” Dr. Jackson said.
Over the last two days Southeast Health has administered 244 vaccines to their employees.
