Sandra Lindsay, a critical care nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in New York on Monday.

Why it matters: It's a huge milestone in the fight against the coronavirus as the country begins the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history. New York was the original epicenter of the virus in the U.S.

What she's saying: "It didn't feel any different from taking any other vaccine," she said. She urged Americans to continue wearing masks and to social distance as the vaccine is distributed, adding: "there's light at the end of the tunnel ... I encourage everyone to take the vaccine."

Go deeper: Determining which essential workers to vaccinate first.