The last time I gave vaccines was to Marines as a fourth-year medical student at the Newport, Rhode Island, Naval Station. Now, two decades later, I was volunteering to provide COVID-19 vaccines to hospital employees on Christmas Eve.

I volunteered to feel closer to the historic moment. As I vaccinated staff, I experienced something I did not expect: a profound gratitude from each vaccine recipient. The family practice physician who cried tears of joy after vaccination, the Somali interpreter who quietly repeated “Insha’Allah” (the Arabic phrase for “God willing”) over and over again and the three women who were breast feeding and had carefully considered the vaccination with their pediatricians – all expressed a deep appreciation.

I asked each recipient what they would have for dinner later. The majority described routine meals: chicken nuggets or ready-to-make meals. While this may seem sad, there was no hint of melancholy. Perhaps it is the disconnection of time of COVID and the day of their vaccination, but it seemed much more the daily routine of health care schedules that would find them back at work tomorrow. Despite this, the outpouring of gratitude and sense of a burden beginning to lift was palpable.

I had signed up to be part of history on Christmas Eve, but instead was rewarded with a few hours of salvation.

Robert Ecker, M.D.
neurosurgeon and chief of neurosciences, Maine Medical Center
Portland resident

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