When Alana Swaringen found out COVID-19 vaccines were coming, she wanted to celebrate. She got a tattoo of a smiling Band-Aid, right where she’d soon get her vaccine.
“For me, it’s a reflection of the crazy year we’ve had and a celebration of my strength and what I’ve gone through this past year,” the 22-year-old Syracuse University student said.
When the health care worker gave her the vaccine in the middle of her smiling Band-Aid, she cried.
“It felt like the start of something new, finally overcoming something,” she said. “And the tattoo is a constant reminder of that.”