Saud Anwar

Senator Anwar Receives First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine Wednesday

Senator Anwar, a pulmonologist working in the Manchester Memorial Hospital intensive care unit, proud to be among Connecticut’s first to take COVID-19 vaccine, prove its safety and efficacy

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) received his first dose of the two-shot COVID-19 vaccination approved last week by the federal Food and Drug Administration. Sen. Anwar, who works as a pulmonologist, practices medicine in the intensive care unit of Manchester Memorial Hospital, including during the full duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As a high risk health care worker, I am glad that I am receiving the vaccine, but I will be much happier once all people who are willing and need to have the vaccine receive it,” said Sen. Anwar. “Only when we have a critical mass of people vaccinated will we be able to reignite our economy and lives again.”

Just over a year after reports indicate COVID-19 began spreading globally, the first approved vaccine by Pfizer has begun distribution among health care workers in many hospitals, the first wave of a concentrated vaccination effort hoped to end the pandemic. Vaccination will gradually reduce risk levels of COVID-19 spread over time as access improves; as time passes, it’s key for the vaccine to reach as many people as possible to reduce risk of serious complications after infection. The first part of Connecticut’s vaccination effort involves medical workers, who work in high-risk environments, and patients at elder care homes, who statistically are at the highest risk of severe complications. Future waves will gradually expand access for the public, with experts hoping to have widespread access to the vaccination by or before the summer.