Getty / Adam Maida / The Atlantic
In the past three months, Americans have become collectively obsessed with shots of shots. Photos featuring the humble deltoid—that meaty muscle that swaddles the upper arm, newly famous as the injection site for all three currently cleared COVID-19 vaccines—have been flooding Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even Tinder. After a year of misery and chaos, they’re digital proof of the relief and elation that comes with boosted immunity; they’re a rallying cry for others, including those who might be wary, to join in. Individual vaccinations, normally an intimate affair, have become a public spectacle.