‘Heartbreak on top of heartbreak’: California’s first surgeon general navigates the pandemic

When Dr. Nadine Burke Harris received her COVID-19 vaccine in Oakland last month, she internally rejoiced. As California’s surgeon general, the state’s top physician, she was glad to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to show others it was safe. But one of the most critical parts of the pandemic’s vaccine rollout —reassuring Black and brown communities that the vaccines available are safe —is an ongoing task.