Refinery 29
I was the first person in the US to receive the COVID-19 vaccine
No one told Sandra Lindsay that her photo would end up on the front page of the New York Times. But that’s exactly what happened on December 15, the day after she became the first person in the United States to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, after it was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. “I was on the front page of almost every major newspaper in the world,” she says. In fact, Lindsay, the director of intensive care nursing at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center Northwell Health, didn’t even know she was the first person to receive the injection, until New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in an interview press conference later that day. All she knew was that she couldn’t wait to get the vaccine that saved her life. Today, ICU nurse Sandra Lindsay made history as the first American to be vaccinated. “I felt an enormous sense of relief after getting the vaccine … There is hope.” pic.twitter.com/45RWerTqdX— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) December 15, 2020 Lindsay spent most of 2020 working in an intensive care unit, caring for patients with COVID-19, and she saw firsthand how the virus is deadly it could be. So she decided to use the “unexpected and overwhelming” attention she was receiving as an opportunity to use her voice to “educate, enlighten and inspire others” to get vaccinated as well. Here, Lindsay opens up about what it was like to be celebrated as the first person in the United States to receive an approved vaccine – and what she wants people to know about her experience of working on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Refinery29: How did you feel when you received the COVID-19 vaccine? Were you looking forward to it? Were you nervous about that? Sandra Lindsay, RN: “My friends and family know that every day before vaccination, I said: ‘I can’t wait, I can’t wait, I can’t wait for the vaccine’. That was my song. ”How did you find out that you would get the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine? “On December 13, my head of nursing came to me to find out if I was still interested in the vaccine, because it was not just coming to New York, but specifically our hospital. I said, ‘I’m absolutely interested.’ [The chief nursing officer] said, ‘Okay, tomorrow morning, you will make it.’ It was a quick turnaround. In the morning, arriving at work, I texted my son and said, ‘I’m going to get the vaccine today.’ He asked me if I was sure I would like to get it so soon and I said yes. And there I went. ”Did you know that you would be the first person in America to get the vaccine? “No, I didn’t know it would be the first in the state of New York – much less in the country. I knew I would be one of the first at the Jewish Medical Center on Long Island, but I didn’t know any further. I found out what happened when Governor Cuomo mentioned this. Still, it didn’t really hit me right away. ”Did you hesitate to share your experience publicly? “I don’t really like the spotlight, but I’m in it. Talking about [getting the vaccine] and what it meant to me seemed natural. I believe in leading by example and not asking people to do something I wouldn’t do. I have the vaccine [because] as a nurse, she had a professional responsibility to restore public health and prevent suffering and death. And I had a personal responsibility to protect myself and the people around me. ”Do you think being on the front lines during the pandemic made you more open to receiving the vaccine? “In March, April and part of May, we see more than 150 patients with COVID-19 daily in the intensive care unit. It was physically and mentally exhausting. After seeing the pain and suffering – death in patients younger than me, my age group and older than me – I saw that it could happen to anyone; my family, my friends or me could also end up in that hospital bed. I also knew that in a crisis of this magnitude only vaccination could help us, in addition to preventive measures such as masks and social distance. “Before I can [the vaccine], every day, I went into work and there was an element of fear. Because you don’t know what you’re getting into. You fear for you and your team. We were not pessimistic – but there were feelings of helplessness because it was not always possible to help patients or their staff. But after receiving my first injection of the vaccine, I felt a sense of relief. It felt like a burden was lifted off my shoulders. I was hopeful that we could get over it. The help we needed was here. “I texted my son and said, ‘I’m going to get the vaccine today.’ He asked me if I was sure that I would like to receive so soon. And I said yes. And there I went. Sandra Lindsay, RN What would you say to people who are still hesitant to get the vaccine? “I have been using my platform to educate especially minorities, people of color and people who are hesitant to get the vaccine because of history. I don’t want to dismiss your fears and hesitations, because some of them are based on the disparities in health care that we still experience today among minority populations. I understand that and recognize that it is real. And for those who think so, I encourage you to look at the advances we have made and the systems that have been put in place to prevent harmful practices from occurring. And knowing this time is different because the whole world has been affected, so the whole world is watching. “The only way to help people overcome distrust is to listen, educate and unmask conspiracy theories and misunderstandings. We also need to offer opportunities for access to the vaccine. It’s one thing to go out and educate, but if people don’t have access, it adds another layer of distrust. Do you have any suggestions or advice for someone who is suspicious of the vaccine? “I suggest that people get curious, ask the right questions, go back in history and see how vaccines have preserved human life over the years. I encourage people to trust science, because science really affects all parts of our lives, from when we wake up in the morning to when we go to bed at night. It all starts with your alarm clock. ”How did you feel after receiving the vaccine? “I didn’t feel any adverse effects from the vaccine. After that, I felt mild pain at the injection site, about one on a scale of one to 10. No headache, fever or fatigue. After getting my second chance [on January 4], I was preparing myself physically and mentally, because Pfizer study participants reported experiencing headaches and fatigue more after the second injection than the first. I thought I would feel bad after the second – although I knew that any effects would be insignificant compared to the shortness of breath and feeling the other effects of COVID-19. But after the second shot, I had a shock of energy. It may have been psychological, but the weight on my shoulders felt even lighter. The next day, I was so energized that I made a long run to the city pier to watch the sunset. I felt good. I felt grateful. ”This interview was condensed in terms of length and clarity. Like what you’re seeing? How about a little more R29 goodness, right here? If I had COVID-19, should I still be vaccinated? I tested the new coronavirus vaccine The vaccine COVID-19 from Moderna has just been approved by the FDA