Covid Vaccinations at Northern Navajo Medical Center

Health care workers at the Northern Navajo Medical Center at Shiprock, New Mexico were among the first people in the Navajo Nation to receive the Pfizer-BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine which began rollout in the United States this week. An initial 10 vaccines were administered yesterday with the rest of the healthcare workers to be vaccinated today. “This feels like the beginning of the end of the virus” shared Lance Whitehair, a Navajo doctor who was the first to be vaccinated. The President of the Navajo Nation, Jonathan Nez, was emotional as he talked about the devastating toll the corona virus has taken on the Navajo Nation. For many, the vaccine represents first steps towards healing and the future for the hard hit Navajo Nation.

Photos are on Getty Images. Funding provided by a grant from the National Geographic Society.

Photos by Micah Garen

Story by Marie-Hélène Carleton