Sandra Lindsay, a Northwell Health employee and Port Washington resident, was again the first American Thursday to receive the latest COVID-19 vaccine shot.
Lindsay was the first U.S. Citizen to receive the FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 14, 2020, at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens when she was a critical care nurse.
Now the vice president of public health advocacy at Northwell, Lindsay has since received three vaccinations and three booster shots and has not been infected with COVID-19.
Lindsay received a vaccine shot from Pfizer-BioNTech—which was approved by the FDA Monday—that offers protection against the “Pirola” and “Eris” COVID-19 variants.
Dr. Michelle Chester, senior director of employee health services at Northwell, administered Lindsay’s Thursday and in 2020.
Additional employees to the vaccine include Dr. Adam Berman, Mozhdeh Mehrabian and Dr. Mangala Narasimhan.
“It’s important that people understand that COVID is still around and can still severely affect an individual,” Lindsay said. “Having worked through the darkest days of the pandemic and seen the devastating effects it can have, I tell people not to take chances. We have powerful weapons like vaccines to prevent those devastating outcomes.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone six months and older to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine as cases rise ahead of the fall and winter seasons.
Dr. Jill Kalman, chief medical officer, said vaccinations have proven to be an important tool in fighting COVID-19.
“We’re here now to reinforce that there is extra protection available against the newest COVID-19 variants as the FDA and CDC have approved a new seasonal vaccine,” Kalman said in a statement.
Since getting vaccinated in 2020, Lindsay has since been recognized and honored multiple times.
In July 2021, she served as the grand marshal for a ticker-tape parade in New York City honoring local healthcare workers and was awarded the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Outstanding Americans by Choice recognition by President Joe Biden at the White House.
Many artifacts from Lindsay’s first vaccination shot were sent to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History including her vaccination card, ID badge and hospital scrubs.
She was also awarded last year the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Biden, the greatest honor a citizen can receive.