The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley started vaccinating emergency medical technicians and other first responders Saturday.

UTRGV vaccinated doctors, nurses and other health care workers who interact with COVID-19 patients first. After they received the vaccine, UTRGV turned to other first responders.

Among them: firefighters from McAllen, Pharr and Mercedes; and EMTs with Hidalgo County EMS.

"They're excited because, unfortunately, some of our employees were infected with COVID-19," said Marco Suarez of Hidalgo County EMS. "And it puts a burden not only on their lives and their families lives, but it puts a burden on the industry as well."

More shipments of the Pfizer vaccine and the new Moderna vaccine are on the way.

"We've been thrilled. It really is almost moment-to-moment, day-to-day that you want to keep up and make sure that you're getting people in," said Dr. John H. Krouse, the dean of the UTRGV Medical School. "You want to make sure that you're not having doses that are not being used."

Watch the video for the full story.