A group of Washington, D.C., firefighters have volunteered to become some of the first people in the country to receive the coronavirus vaccine, hoping to build trust in the vaccine by doing so, The Washington Post reported.
"Today, we have hope," Mayor Muriel 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."
A spokesperson for the mayor told the Post the five responders were chosen because they were willing to discuss the vaccination process, as well as get vaccinated on camera.
"I'm getting vaccinated for my city," said Lt. Keishea Jackson. "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."
"For me, it's also about trying to send a message to Black and brown people who look like me," added Jackson, who is Black, according to WUSA-9. "It's my race who is leaving here at an alarming rate."
Acting Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief John Donnelly noted he felt obligated to set an example.
"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."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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