Hollister vaccine trial participants shed tears of joy as COVID-19 vaccination begins
HOLLISTER, Calif. (KION) As we witness the first healthcare workers receive their COVID-19 vaccines, a lot of people can’t help but get emotional, including two women in Hollister who helped make the moment a reality.
Rebecca Mattos and Grace Wells say they shed tears of joys at the sight of seeing the first injections into the arms of a California nurse.
Mattos and Wells were participants in Pfizer's vaccine trial. Despite their fear of needles and potential health risks they wanted to be a part of something bigger.
The virus has claimed so many lives and livelihoods, including that of Mattos. She worked at a restaurant for 13 years before the pandemic forced the business to shutdown. That was in August of this year, and she along with millions in the restaurant industry are struggling.
Mattos convinced her mother to participate, which Wells said she did because she witnessed how so many Hispanic people were becoming infected because of the industries the majority of them work in.
"Hearing that Hispanics – and minorities - were really getting hit hard. And since I’m a minority and so is my daughter, I said, 'I’m going to do it. I need to do something to help.'" said Wells.
Now that they've contributed they want people to trust the medical professionals who urge people who get vaccinated without hesitation.
"I understand you have your opinion, and this is how you feel, but I would hope that you would rethink it. We did it, we did it before it was an FDA approved and we’re fine," said Wells.
