When the pandemic hit, Malea Sterling wondered what she could do during the shutdown with the skills she’d acquired from years of customer service, banking, and executive administration. “How could I use these skills to fight a pandemic that took us all by surprise?” she asked. Then, she was asked by the Clinical Research Operations Manager of NYU Langone Vaccine Center Division of Infectious Diseases to be a part of the Pfizer vaccine study. Her response was immediate; she instantly said yes. “I jumped at the opportunity to help the Black and Brown communities so heavily affected by the virus,” she tells GO. She was soon asked to join the Pfizer Community Advisory Board to perform outreach with vulnerable communities, ensuring them access to information and support. In her work with vaccine research and her advocacy work, her purpose is the same: to make sure she is bringing accurate information and resources to the people who need it. “I set out to challenge the misinformation being circulated through social media, the antivaxxers, and conspiracy theorists in general with the facts to persuade unserved communities to … mask up and get vaccinated.” —IL
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