The COVID-19 vaccine was a beaming light of hope amidst one of the darkest periods in human and healthcare history. Not only has this breakthrough highlighted the successes of science and faith, but it allowed for the international recognition of Filipinos as exceptional individuals.
Filipina-Thomasian Nurse May Parsons waved the Philippines’ flag as she administered the first-ever COVID-19 vaccine in the world on December 8, 2020, at University Hospital in Coventry, England.
Having worked at the National Health Service in the United Kingdom for 20 years, she was able to administer 140 vaccines in a day, achieving the highest number of vaccines administered in her program by a healthcare professional for 3 consecutive years, making her the perfect nurse candidate to perform such a prestigious task.
After the identification of the individual to receive the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Margaret Keenan, May Parsons took the initiative to visit her patient to ensure her overall well-being and build rapport.
Chosen for her competence, commitment, and compassion to participate in such a meaningful event, reciprocated through recognition, she shared her journey with the UST College of Nursing during her homecoming visit last August 22, 2022.
“The successes and the journeys that I’ve had are also all yours,” she expressed with pride to the UST Nursing-student body.
Motivating the audience with her words of fondness for the art and science of nursing, she emphasized how important it is to stay grounded in our principles as Filipinos as she believes it is what allowed her to stand out in a foreign environment.
Parsons acknowledged the efforts of frontliners who exerted to aid in the mitigation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bedside nurses who provide comfort to their patients in the face of life-threatening situations and Filipinos who face discrimination regardless of their high-caliber skills served as her inspiration to be an advocate for their rights and indispensable value.
May Parsons contributed to society not merely as a light that shines solely but, akin to Florence Nightingale’s lamp, a candle that illuminates and influences those around her to shine as well.
The act of bravery and excellence that she displayed throughout her service as a healthcare professional granted her the highest civilian honor of the British government, the George Cross medal, on July 12, 2022, by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles.
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