First COVID-19 Vaccine Administered In Tulsa County One Year Ago

365 days ago, Dr. Jeff Goodloe rolled up his sleeve to get a historic shot.

"I certainly hadn't expected to receive the first vaccine given by the Tulsa Health Department a year ago," said Goodloe on Wednesday.

Goodloe, who's the Chief Medical Officer for the EMS System for Metro Oklahoma City and Tulsa, was the first to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Tulsa County.

"What that vaccine represented to me was increased personal safety in my job responsibilities," said Goodloe.

Since then, Goodloe got his second dose and a booster.

Now, he's encouraging others who may be hesitant to get the vaccine as well.

"We're not here to judge anyone,” said Goodloe. “We just celebrate with each and every vaccination that we're able to give. It's never too late/I have not had any patients that say they regretted getting the vaccine, I've had a lot of patients say that they had wished they did."

Goodloe's message comes as Tulsa County reports more than 1,300 new cases this week, a slight increase from previous weeks.

THD Executive Director Dr. Bruce Dart says he, like Goodloe, is also working to slow the spread.

"We have to figure out really as we go forward, from a societal perspective, what are we all going to do to not only keep ourselves safe, but keep those around us safe and we know at this juncture, the best preventative took is vaccine," said Dart.

Right now, 69 percent of all Tulsa County residents have received at least one dose of a vaccine.