When a nurse in New York became the first American to have a dose of an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine in December, it was a moment that would go up in history. The first vaccination scale is now on its way to a historical museum, which is to be displayed in an exhibition for next year.
On Wednesday (March 10), the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History announced that it had acquired the now empty bottle of Pfizer BioNTech vaccine used for the historic shot, which was administered to Sandra Lindsay, the intensive care nurse, on December 14. . according to a statement of the Smithsonian. Other materials, including Lindsay’s vaccination card, scrub and hospital identification badge, will also be part of the museum’s collection, the statement said.
The material was donated by Northwell Health, the health care system in New York where Lindsay works. Northwell Health also donated other materials related to the first vaccine doses, including the special delivery materials needed to keep the vaccine at ultra-cold temperatures.
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“These now-historic artifacts not only document this remarkable scientific advance, but also represent the hope that millions of people offered by the tantalizing crises brought by COVID-19 offer,” said Anthea M. Hartig, director of the museum, in the statement said.
Since April 2020, the museum has been collecting artifacts to document the pandemic and its effects on society. Some artifacts offered as volunteers at the museum include trash cans worn by health workers when supplies of protective equipment were scarce, and signs made by people to support their loved ones locked up in their service. according to Smithsonian magazine.
The museum’s collection already contains a number of historical articles related to science and medicine, including penicillin form from Alexander Fleming’s laboratory and the original Jonas Salk polio vaccine, reads the statement.
The museum is working on a 3,500-square-foot exhibit titled “In Sickness and in Health,” which features articles related to America’s efforts to control and cure diseases, such as eradication campaign objects. smallpox, as well as objects from the COVID-19 pandemic. The exhibit, which will also include the Northwell Health vials, is scheduled to open in 2022, Smithsonian Magazine reported.
Originally published on Live Science.