Catalina Gonella is reporting for Gothamist the Queens nurse who was the first person to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in America will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, President Joe Biden announced last week. Sandra Lindsay, a critical care nurse at Northwell Health and a native of Jamaica, was one of the 17 recipients chosen for the honor. She received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on December 14, 2020, and her second on January 4, 2021. Lindsay was the first American to receive a COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials. In Biden’s announcement, Lindsay was also described as a prominent advocate for vaccines and mental health for health care workers. After the president's announcement, Lindsey wrote in a LinkedIn post, “This recognition is significant for me and my loved ones. It is also a huge recognition for my Northwell Health family, nurses and healthcare workers around the world, women, women of color, Jamaicans, minorities and immigrants to name a few!” A Medal of Freedom ceremony will be held at the White House on July 7. Read the full story at gothamist [dot] com.