Sandra Lindsay. Learn the name. Remember that name. Teach that name: it is that of a 50-something-year-old woman.
A Black woman.
An immigrant.
A nurse.
On Monday Lindsay became the first person in the United States to be injected with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
There are people in this country who keep score. Who question the value of women. Who second-guess the contributions of immigrants.
However, Lindsay said she volunteered to receive the vaccine to be an example. Her place in line was happenstance.
Her goal, according to The New York Times, was “not to be the first one to take the vaccine, but to inspire people who look like me, who are skeptical in general about taking vaccines,” she said, referring to people in the Black community who second-guess the safety of vaccinations given this country’s racist medical history, punctuated in part by the Tuskegee study.
Lindsay may have only set out to be an example of leadership to the Black community, but she is a role model for us all.
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The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is rolling out to a select few — primarily healthcare providers — this month. And the Moderna vaccine is expected to be approved for treatment this week, accelerating the rate at which medical professionals and high-risk individuals are able to receive the vaccine.
If shipping and distribution happen seamlessly, the majority of Americans should start being treated by spring.
By summer most Americans should have been vaccinated and gatherings like family picnics will be the norm. By Halloween friends and family will have made up for lost time with countless get-togethers and happy hours. By Thanksgiving families will be reunited for their missed holiday feast and discussions. The day after Thanksgiving family and friends will say they are glad that is over. By Dec. 1 next year couples will be arguing if they have to go see both sides of the family during the holidays “because why add to the stress!?” On New Year’s Eve the question will be “do we go out or stay in and avoid all the drunken crowds?” In short, things may soon be back to normal if all goes well.
Looking forward to it.
