The Queens nurse who became the first person in the United States to receive a COVID-19 vaccine has published a memoir detailing her career and the events leading up to that historic moment.

The book, titled “First in Line: How COVID Placed Me on the Frontlines of a Healthcare Crisis,” chronicles Sandra Lindsay’s Dec. 14, 2020, vaccination, work during the pandemic, experiences as a Jamaican immigrant and acceptance of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022.

In an interview on “Mornings On 1” Wednesday, Lindsay said she never thought getting the vaccine would be such a significant moment in her life.

“I thought I was just getting a shot, instilling public confidence, doing my job as a citizen and as a healthcare provider,” Lindsay said. “It didn’t hit me at the moment, and sometimes I still don’t think it hit.”

Lindsay explores the impact of the pandemic on her as a frontline worker in her book, including how she encountered patients who reminded her of her own family. This experience, she said, contributed to her decision to receive the vaccine and later become the vice president of Public Health Advocacy at Northwell Health. She also would become the first person to receive the updated COVID-19 booster shots in September 2023.

“I saw the disparities. I've learned that we still have large gaps in care that some areas—depending on your ZIP code—people don't have access to care. I once lived in one of those ZIP codes, and [I learned] that there are policy changes and things that we can do to close those gaps—and that we should do—to make sure that health system is inclusive and that everyone who needs and deserves care has access to that care,” she said.

Lindsay reflected on how her life has transformed since receiving the vaccine.

“I truly believe in purpose, and I think God had a bigger plan for me. And I was just given the opportunity to live out my purpose,” she said.