The first people in the US got COVID-19 shots

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On Tuesday morning, the Food and Drug Administration released documents related to its review of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine. They show that Moderna's vaccine is highly effective at preventing people from getting COVID-19, similar to the Pfizer-BioNTech shot. The documents also shed light on the safety of the vaccine and how often trial participants reported side effects.

(You can read the FDA's summary of the evidence here)

Today in healthcare news: See the first person in New York get their COVID-19 shot, the presentation a former casino exec used to convince investors to bet $40 million on his healthcare startup, and how many doses of Moderna's vaccine the US has ready to ship if it gets emergency authorization.

Watch an ICU nurse from New York City receive the first COVID-19 vaccine in the US

• The first person to be publicly vaccinated against the coronavirus in the US was an intensive-care-unit nurse from Queens, New York.
• New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo livestreamed the event on Periscope on Monday.
• "I feel like healing is coming," the nurse, Sandra Lindsay, said after she got her first shot. "I hope this marks the end to a very painful time in our history."

Read the full story from Hilary Brueck here>>

We got an exclusive look at the presentation that a former casino exec used to convince investors to bet $40 million on a new way of helping companies take care of their workers

• Well Dot Inc., a healthcare AI startup, announced Monday it raised $40 million in Series A financing from existing investors General Catalyst, John Doerr, and Mosaic Health Solutions, among others.
• The startup was cofounded by Gary Loveman, a former Caesars Entertainment and Aetna executive, and uses tactics similar to those used in casinos to get users to stick to activities and tasks that could make them healthier.
• Well sells its services to employers that are then able to make an app available to employees. Those that opt in receive nudges and frequent rewards for completing tasks.
• See the pitch deck that Loveman and his team used to win over investors for his company's $40 million Series A.

Read the full story from Zach Tracer and Megan Hernbroth here>>

US plans to ship 6 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine straight after the FDA authorizes it - double its initial shipment of Pfizer's shot

• The US plans to ship 6 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine once it is authorized for emergency use, the head of logistics for the government's vaccine initiative said during a press briefing Monday.
• This would be double the US's initial shipment of Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine.
• The US government has ordered 200 million doses of Moderna's vaccine. If the vaccine is authorized, Moderna plans to deliver 20 million doses this year.

Read the full story from Grace Dean here>>

More stories we're reading:

• How COVID-19 changed science forever (The Atlantic)
• The most dangerous health myths debunked in 2020, from herd immunity to COVID-19 'hygiene theater' (Insider)
• Meet Moderna's Hamilton Bennett, the 35-year-old who helped the upstart create a COVID-19 vaccine (ABC News)
• Vulnerable Brits can now get Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine from their family doctor. Here's what you need to know - with photos from one of the first clinics to offer the shot (Business Insider)
• Photos show people receiving the first US doses of the COVID-19 vaccine (Business Insider)

- Lydia