Captain America has many nicknames. The First Avenger. The Sentinel of Liberty. Winghead. Capsicle. Cap. But more to the point, maybe Captain COVID may be apt.
Whatever we want to call him, the man who would become the “star-spangled man with a plan” in the comic books was born Steven Grant Rogers on July 4, 1918, in Brooklyn, New York. This First Avenger appeared in comic books way back in the spring of 1941. He sprang from the agile minds of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, two titans from the early days of the Golden Era of comic books. Captain America arrived on the scene only three short years after the arrival of the first influenza vaccine developed by Thomas Francis and Jonas Salk.
Simon and Kirby imagined an inspiring hero who underwent challenging transformation and training to become the Sentinel of Liberty. Originally a frail, and frankly rather sickly, fellow, Steve Rogers participated in a procedure that harnessed the peak power of biomedical science to enhance his physical abilities and capacities.
Captain America subsequently had adventures with many amazing writers, most notably Stan Lee. Under Stan Lee’s vision, Captain America would later go on to lead the Avengers and save his city, country, and the world many times over the years.
Captain America and COVID-19
Regardless of the writer, re-imagined background, or revised backstories, Captain America is a symbol of selfless sacrifice. He does everything that he does to help others, whether that was joining the military effort in World War II to go to Europe and punch Nazis or going toe to toe with Thanos. Cap does what he does because it’s the right thing to do.
Born just at the end of the 1918 Pandemic, but unable to have any influence on influenza, Captain America, like all of us, faces another existential threat to societies around the world in the form of Coronavirus 19. Without question, Steve Rogers would get the vaccine. He would patiently wait his turn, of course, but would not hesitate when that turn arrived.
Vaccines enhance immune system function to shield you from harm
I’ve thought a lot over the years about the idea of enhancing human biology. Enhancement can run a full range of things from the simple stuff like wearing glasses to gene-editing and beyond. We can also think of various health measures like vaccines as a kind of enhancement. But it's all self-driven. It's just getting your own body to tune itself appropriately to different needs, or in the case of vaccines, dangerous pathogens.
In his origin story, Steve Rogers volunteers to take an experimental procedure that will either make him into a super-soldier or possibly kill him. Without hesitation the physically frail but mentally gigantic Rogers volunteers despite any concern about possible negative outcomes. And he does this because he believes in the greater good and in helping others.
Getting vaccinated is a small personal gesture that helps all
Captain America wants to do the best for the most and he understands that a small personal sacrifice can have large benefits for many. Steve Rogers agreed to undergo the super-soldier transformation not for his own good, not for his own ego, not to protect him. Instead, he underwent the procedure to help others to be safe. He realized that the procedure he was undergoing would help others even if it will never help him personally.
THE BASICS
Captain America chooses the greater good. Source: Courtesy Andi M. Zehr. The scientific underpinnings that would be needed to produce any kind of transformation from a frail human to a super soldier enhanced human would require many steps and many procedures. In the original story told by Kirby and Simon, there was a “Vita Ray” and various injections of “serums” and all kinds of whatever was current science back in the 1940s.
Vaccines arm your immune system to know who to fight
In stark contrast, a vaccine is a simple process of getting a brief injection to trigger your immune system to arm itself to protect you. Getting an injection requires literally minutes of your time. By doing so, you're enabling the protection and safety of others but also for yourself.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 Essential Reads
Update on COVID-19 and How It Changes the Brain 
How Political Partisanship Can Be Deadly Captain America and his co-Avengers can only do their jobs if they know who the enemy is and who to fight. Your immune system is the same. It needs to know how to identify the virus so that it can fight it with all its power. Instead of advanced intel that might inform the Avengers of their targets, your immune system can get its briefing from a brief injection as part of a vaccine.
Captain America slings a shield for protection.
That protection is for him and for the legions of folks he helps and keeps safe.
Our shield is a vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine protects us and all the folks we encounter.
Superheroes care about others. You should too. Get vaccinated. Channel your own inner Avenger to do the right thing. A jab in the arm isn’t the “super-soldier” treatment but it is a chance to help the world. And it’s literally the least you can do to help others.
Avengers Inoculate!
(c) E. Paul Zehr (2021)