Vaccine rollout begins - KOBI-TV NBC5 / KOTI-TV NBC2

(NBC News) The first vials of COVID-19 vaccine have been distributed to hospitals and other medical facilities across the country.

Vaccinations are scheduled to begin across the nation this week.

Rush University Medical Center in Chicago will serve as one vaccination center. Staff there will be able to administer a thousand doses or more each day.

Front line health care workers will be the first in line.

Experts say ending the COVID-19 pandemic will require 70 to 80 percent of the U.S. population to be vaccinated.

There are many still concerned about the safety of a medicine created and authorized so quickly.

The doctors and nurses at Rush say they want to ease those fears by being among the first to take the vaccine.

“I’m happy to be an example for others to show that it’s ok to get this vaccine and that it’s important to get it,” says emergency physician Dr. Meeta Shah.