Ruth Koscelniak, who lived through the pandemic of 1918, was greeted with flowers for her vaccination for the novel coronavirus. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Lauren Gotlieb said she didn t even feel the physical pinprick of the needle. I don t even know how to describe that it s life saving, she said. It s globally life-saving. It s amazing as people that we were able to make it happen. Gotlieb was one of about 700 people who were given their first vaccine shot on Thursday at the vaccination site set up at St. Elizabeth s Parish Center. She was eligible as a health-care worker under the state guidelines since she works as an athletic trainer.