The COVID-19 vaccine shot seen around the world, which took place at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in December, is being memorialized at the Smithsonian, officials announced Tuesday.
Items including the empty Pfizer-BioNTech vial that contained the first doses of the vaccine administered to Northwell Health staff, and the scrubs worn by nurse manager and Port Washington resident Sandra Lindsay — believed to be the first person not in a clinical trial to receive the vaccine in the United States — will become part of the medical collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
“Having lived through the devastation and suffering created by the virus, I knew I wanted to be part of the solution to put an end to COVID-19,” Lindsay said in a statement. “I hope that when people visit the museum and see all these items that they stop to honor the lives of people who did not make it and remember the loved ones they left behind. I hope it will inspire some discussion and education for future generations.”
Lindsay’s vaccination card, documenting the first of her two doses on Dec. 14, and her Northwell employee identification card will also be conserved by the Smithsonian. Northwell also donated diluent — which is used for dilution — and syringes used to administer the vaccines.
They will be placed in a collection that showcases some of the most important moments in medicine, including Jonas Salk’s original polio vaccine.
“December 14 was a historic moment for all: the day the very first COVID-19 vaccine was administered in the United States,” Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health, said in a statement. “It was our first real sign of hope after so many dark months in the fight against the global pandemic.”
He added, “But when Sandra Lindsay rolled up her sleeve, we weren’t just showing our team members the safety and efficacy of this groundbreaking vaccine — we were telling the world that our country was beginning a new fight back to normalcy. It was an extraordinary moment, and I thank the Smithsonian for preserving this important milestone.”
