Situation Report

Latina doctors with Duke Health get COVID-19 vaccine to show community it's safe Many of their patients look like them-and often share their fears about the vaccine's safety and fast roll out. ABC11 Raleigh-Durham

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Two Latina doctors at Duke Health are all smiles after getting vaccinated for COVID-19. They're hoping this will let people of color know they can trust the vaccine.

Gabriela Maradiaga-Panayotti is a pediatrician and associate professor at Duke. Viviana Martinez-Bianchi is a family doctor and leads Duke's Health Equity Department for Family Medicine and Community Health.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Monday gave official approval for the coronavirus vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer to be used across the 27-nation bloc, raising hopes that countries can begin administering the first shots to their citizens shortly after Christmas.

The EU’s executive commission gave the green light just hours after the European Medicines Agency said the vaccine meets safety and quality standards. Brussels had been expected to take two or three days to endorse the market authorization move.

“As we have promised, this vaccine will be available for all EU countries at the same time, on the same conditions,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “This is a very good way to end this difficult year, and to finally start turning the page on COVID-19.”

Deliveries of the vaccine are expected to start this coming Saturday, with inoculations beginning across the EU between Dec. 27 and Dec. 29.