"Vaccination is useless if only some get vaccinated... It's unfortunate that Black people distrust vaccines"

First U.S. COVID-19 Vaccine Nurse Recipient Shares Vaccination Experience
Focus on Overcoming Vaccine Hesitancy Among Black Community

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] "It is useless if only some people get (the vaccine). It's no different from the flu vaccine."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

According to U.S. media including The Washington Post, on the 13th (local time), Sandra Lindsay, a Black nurse of Jamaican origin who was the first to receive the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine in the United States, shared her thoughts on the vaccination.

Nurse Lindsay, after receiving the vaccine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, New York, told reporters, "Unfortunately, because of history, people like me hesitate to get vaccinated," emphasizing the importance of vaccination among Black and other minority groups.

Her vaccination was broadcast live on TV that day. Her remarks were clearly aware of the resistance to vaccination among Black and Hispanic communities.

Nurse Lindsay said, "The vaccine has entered my body. My immune system will respond," adding, "It is safe to get vaccinated. Although some side effects such as pain in the vaccinated arm have been reported, I believe it is no different from the annual flu vaccine."

She emphasized, "Even if there is some pain or significant pain, (the vaccine) is better than other alternatives." Nurse Lindsay plans to care for patients normally on the 15th, the day after vaccination.

Nurse Lindsay directly addressed the distrust of vaccines among Black and Latino populations in the U.S. She said, "Unfortunately, because of past history, minorities like me are reluctant to get vaccinated." This statement reflects awareness of the resentment toward past vaccine trials conducted on Black people in the U.S.

Regarding being selected as the first vaccine recipient, she stressed, "It is not to gain attention but to deliver a message." Nurse Lindsay said, "As a Black woman, I want to inform those who distrust the medical system or have experienced racial discrimination due to historical injustices that they need to get vaccinated."

The Washington Post also reported that Nurse Lindsay intended to send a message to trust science.

On the same day, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), also announced that he would publicly receive the vaccine within weeks to encourage vaccination.

U.S. media also worked to 'heroize' Nurse Lindsay. The Washington Post interviewed her brother and introduced how Nurse Lindsay has been working in healthcare in the U.S.

Lindsay was born in Jamaica and raised by her grandparents. She immigrated to the U.S., studied nursing, and has lived her life as a nurse.

Her brother, Garfield Lindsay, told The Washington Post (WP) in an interview that helping others has been her dream since she was six years old, saying, "My sister, who grew up in the Third World, became a nurse because of that," and added, "It is very meaningful that she has become a role model for vaccination."

Contrary to Nurse Lindsay’s hopes, anxiety about the vaccine remains. A doctor practicing in New York City told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "There are many opinions from the Nurses Association and Firefighters Association that they will not get vaccinated," and said that medical staff around him also prefer to observe the progress rather than rush to get vaccinated.

He also expressed concerns, saying, "It is not easy to persuade Black or Latino residents who are reluctant to get vaccinated. The vaccine management and vaccination procedures are complicated, making widespread vaccination difficult." The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine, which began to be administered this time, must be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.