DALLAS – On December 11, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued the first emergency-use authorization for a vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus. The authorization allows the vaccine to be distributed in the U.S. 

Dallas resident Kaitlyn Culpepper has experienced the effects of COVID-19 firsthand and is urging community members to utilize any form of prevention available to them. Her mother passed away from COVID-19 on July 22 of this year. She has experienced side effects from the virus herself, and knows the how tough it can be on you, both mentally and physically. 

“The way that I can describe it to you was it felt like I just ran a half marathon with the flu and strep throat,” Culpepper said. 

Culpepper had no underlying health conditions and frequently runs half marathons. Knowing that she was affected in this way, she feared for her other family members. With the announcement of the FDA-approved Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, Culpepper urges the community to utilize it once it’s widely available. 

“We don’t want people to continue spreading this. We want it to be an eradicated virus,” she said.  

In Texas, the vaccine will be distributed first to frontline workers. This hits home for Culpepper, whose mom worked as a school nurse. 

She urges everyone to utilize the virus if it’s available to them. 

“If it prevents your neighbor or your grandma or your aunt or uncle from getting or experiencing these harsh symptoms that come with COVID and it can stop or curve the inflammation that it does to your body, why wouldn’t you want to do that,” Culpepper stressed.

Culpepper doesn’t wish the lasting effects of coronavirus or the death of a loved on on anyone.