Firefighters in Washington will be among the first in the country to receive the coronavirus vaccine that rolled out on Monday.
Five first responders, including the acting fire chief, the department’s medical director, and three firefighters, will take the vaccine later this week to help build trust in the process. The five volunteers were dubbed the “First Five” by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who praised their efforts.
“Today, we have hope,” Bowser said in a statement. “After a long and tragic nine months, help is finally on the way. The First Five are sending a strong message about the importance of this vaccine to protect them, their families and loved ones, their patients and coworkers, and our entire city.”
LaToya Foster, a spokeswoman for Bowser, told the Washington Post that the five first responders were chosen for their willingness not only to take the vaccine on camera, but to discuss the process.
“I’m getting vaccinated for my city,” Lt. Keishea Jackson said. “In the last nine months, I’ve seen COVID devastate my department. I’ve seen my brothers and sisters go into the hospital. I’ve seen them with severe symptoms — things we never thought we would see.”
WUSA 9 reported that Jackson, who is black, admitted she was at first skeptical of the vaccine but felt obligated to take it to help her community, which has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
“For me, it’s also about trying to send a message to black and brown people who look like me,” Jackson said. “It’s my race who is leaving here at an alarming rate.”
Acting Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said he felt an obligation to lead by example, which drove him to take part in the campaign.
“As the leader of the department, I won’t have my people do anything I won’t do,” Donnelly said. “And there is enough concern about the vaccine around the country that… there have been people who’ve said they’ll get the vaccine because I’m getting it. So I think it’s important.”
The first doses of the vaccine were given to healthcare workers across the country on Monday. COVID-19 has infected over 16 million people in the United States and has killed nearly 300,000.
