68: Frontline Forces: Vaccine Celebrity

The delivery of commercial COVID-19 vaccines in less than a year is nothing short of miraculous and was made possible by Operation Warp Speed -- a historic public-private partnership initiated and coordinated by the United States government. While other medical moonshots and breakthroughs have been achieved, few have occurred with the speed and success of developing the COVID-19 vaccines. December 14, 2020 -- just seven months after announcing Operation Warp Speed -- was the first day the COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the US and those on the frontlines of health care were among the first in this historic and unprecedented mass vaccination effort to receive them. Along with her colleagues from Northwell Health's Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens New York, critical care nurse Sandra Lindsay unhesitatingly and voluntarily rolled up her sleeve and got her COVID-19 shot in the company of dozens of her colleagues, hospital leadership -- and cameras -- not realizing or planning she'd become the first person in the US to receive it. Within minutes, the now-iconic images and video footage of her receiving a COVID-19 jab administered by fellow nurse Michelle Chester, DNP began circulating in media outlets around the globe and along with it a high-profile opportunity to reach others, inspire them, and build their vaccine confidence. Email us at [email protected]