'Race against time': First Americans vaccinated as U.S. death toll passes 300,000

A plane of FedEx Express carrying a first batch of Pfizer/BioNTEch COVID-19 vaccine is seen at LAX Airport, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Los Angeles, California, U.S., December 13, 2020, in this photo obtained from social media. Los Angeles World Airports/via REUTERS

NEW YORK (Reuters) -A New York City intensive care unit nurse on Monday became the first person in the United States to receive a coronavirus vaccine, saying she felt "healing is coming," as the nation's COVID-19 death toll crossed a staggering 300,000 lives lost.

Sandra Lindsay, who has treated some of the sickest COVID-19 patients for months, was inoculated at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in the New York City borough of Queens, an early epicenter of the country's coronavirus outbreak, receiving applause on a livestream with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.