Thread by @drsanjaygupta, My worlds collided today. While most of you know me as a [...]

My worlds collided today. While most of you know me as a reporter for CNN, my 'day job' is still: neurosurgeon. (1/11)

As a healthcare worker, it was my turn to get vaccinated today. And, I didn’t hesitate. (2/11)

As a journalist, I have covered the #COVID19 story for the last year — watching the entire process of the vaccine development, the regulatory process and reviewed the data myself. (3/11) https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/11/health/covid-vaccine-fda-eua/index.html

FDA issues emergency use authorization for Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine

The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine for emergency use in the United States.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/11/health/covid-vaccine-fda-eua/index.html

While I am (a little) afraid of needles... yes... despite being a surgeon, the process didn’t hurt a bit. Honestly. (4/11)

I waited for the standard 15 minutes in case of an allergic reaction and then walked out the door — a body full of vaccine and a mind full of thoughts. (5/11)

While I haven't particularly worried that I would get sick, the truth is, most of the patients I have spoken to felt the same. They believed the pandemic was real. Without a doubt. But, they just didn’t think it would happen to them. (6/11)

Their stories are so similar. Started with some minor symptoms. Got worse. Required hospitalization. And then began the worst days of their life. Hardly anyone who has become ill or died from this disease thought that it would actually happen to them. (7/11)

As things stand now, that story will be repeated hundreds of thousands of times over the next few months. And — the people who will get sick and die of this disease are perfectly fine right now, maybe even thinking they dodged the worst. (8/11)

This vaccine is totally worth celebrating. It can help rescue us from the disease. But, no amount of science can rescue us from ourselves. We need to do that. (9/11) https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/06/health/coronavirus-us-patient-vaccine-rescue-gupta/index.html

If the United States were my patient: Science cannot rescue us from ourselves

CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta writes, "Our human spirit has made us innovative, creative, resourceful and tenacious enough to see this dream of a vaccine bear fruit. But it's our...

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/06/health/coronavirus-us-patient-vaccine-rescue-gupta/index.html

Yes, we are an audacious society, always in search of a home run, touchdown, knockout punch. And, the vaccine represents so many of those things. (10/11)

But, in order to get the big things right, we have to get the basics right first. Stay home as much as you can. #WearAMask

and #BeKind (11/11)

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