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‘A great day, a great place’: Boston Medical Center staff celebrate the arrival of a coronavirus vaccine

By Shannon Larson Globe Staff,Updated December 15, 2020, 12:06 a.m.
Boston Medical Center staff celebrated the arrival of a coronavirus vaccine shipment on Monday by dancing to Lizzo's "Good as Hell."Boston Medical Center (Custom credit)

Medical professionals working on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic have dealt with a taxing year — from treating an overwhelming number of patients desperately ill with a new virus at once to facing uncertainty about personal protective equipment supplies.

So when Boston Medical Center received one of the first nationwide shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine early Monday morning, it was a reason to celebrate. For the first time in months — and on the same day the nation surpassed 300,000 deaths from the virus — hope was on the horizon.

In a TikTok video uploaded by the hospital on Facebook that has since gone viral across social media, staff — some donning yellow hospital gowns, others in scrubs, and all wearing face coverings — are shown dancing, their shared elation clear.

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And their choice of song? None other than Grammy-nominated singer Lizzo’s “Good as Hell.”

“On December 14th, Boston Medical Center received its first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine,” the Facebook post caption reads. “And staff are ‘feeling good’ about this important turning point in the pandemic.”

The hospital, which has so far received 1,950 doses of the vaccine, will begin vaccinating health care workers this week, according to the post.

Kate Walsh, the president and CEO of the Boston Medical Center health system, said the celebration epitomized her love for the job.

“Teams of people working safely and equitably distribute vaccines to their front line colleagues getting cheered on by their friends celebrating the arrival of the vaccines,” Walsh wrote in a tweet. “A great day, a great place.”

Many reacted to the video with an appreciation for the health care workers — and some pointed out one particular “scene-stealer” featured in the clip.

Dr. Valerie Stone, the vice chair for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said she was “so glad” the vaccines had arrived at Boston Medical Center.

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“Much respect for @The_BMC and your amazing care of innumerable patients with COVID-19,” Stone wrote in a tweet.

Newton City Councilor Alicia Bowman said the video of the dancing staff made her “so happy.”

“Thank you to the #HealthcareHeroes #COVID19,” Bowman wrote in a tweet.

See some other reactions to the video below:

Shannon Larson can be reached at shannon.larson@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @shannonlarson98.

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