Hartford HealthCare received its first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine on the loading dock at Hartford Hospital Monday morning.

Dr. Ajay Kumar, who is the chief clinical officer at the hospital, and Dr. Keith Grant were the first people to get the vaccine at 11 a.m. with Gov. Ned Lamont looking on.

"Yes, I'm so proud of it. This is a momentous day for all of us, and I'm so privileged to be part of it," Kumar says.

The state received 31,200 doses of the vaccine for its first order. The vaccine arrived at the hospital around 9:15 a.m., and within an hour, staff were already preparing the shot for the first 15 doctors and nurses.

The doses will be split evenly, with half going to health care facilities and the other half to CVS and Walgreens pharmacies. Those pharmacies will then distribute the vaccine to long-term care facilities.

The first person from the western Connecticut area to get the shot was Dr. Corina Marcu from St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport.

She says she has experienced no side effects so far.

"The incidence of side effects, of serious side effects - is very low. It's less than 2%," Marcu says.

In all, Hartford HealthCare received almost 2,000 doses.

Pfizer's vaccine must be kept below -76 degrees Fahrenheit, and once it's taken out it has to used within five days.

Patients need two doses taken 21 days apart. A separate vaccine from Moderna could arrive in Connecticut next week.

Lamont warned that it will take much of 2021 to get the entire state vaccinated.

"I'm a bit of a football fan, and for the first time in a long time, Jeff, I think we see the end zone," he says.

The rest of Connecticut's COVID-19 doses are being distributed to hospitals across the state this week.