Nurse!

Dr. Anthony Fauci says Santa Claus is immune from the coronavirus, but the jolly guy is taking no chances before Christmas -- he just got the COVID-19 vaccine.

Santa came down from the North Pole for an unannounced stop Wednesday at Southern Hills Hospital & Medical Center in Las Vegas, where he got the shot.

As you can see, Santa wasn't exactly keeping it low pro ... rocking his regular work gear for the occasion.

So, why Vegas? It is pretty warm for a guy dressed like this. Well, the hospital's honchos say they reached out to St. Nick out of concern for his health ahead of his globe-trotting on Christmas Eve.

Let's face it ... this guy can't risk taking a sick day on his ONE workday of the year.

Remember, Dr. Fauci said SC has "innate immunity" from COVID-19.

The frontline healthcare workers getting the first batch of coronavirus vaccines in America say things are going smoothly -- no symptoms or side effects, so far.

The first people to get the shot in New York and North Carolina are all telling us the same thing -- it was like a normal tetanus or flu shot and, most importantly, they haven't had any surprises.

Sandra Lindsay, the intensive-care nurse who got the first shot, Monday morning in New York, tells TMZ ... she feels fantastic. It's early, for sure, but just to give you an idea of what you might experience, Sandra says she's had no fever, no muscle aches, no muscle weakness -- and she's trusting the science.

Sarah, who is Black, says she was never apprehensive about getting the vaccine, despite a majority of African-Americans saying they don't trust it and won't get it.

As we reported, Offset conveyed that exact sentiment when we spoke to him about possibly get vaccinated when it's available.

Still, Sandra told us the alternatives -- death or suffering from COVID-19 -- are way worse than getting the shot.

The first person vaccinated Monday in North Carolina, Dr. Katie Passaretti, tells us her vaccination was like other ones she's had in the past. She's only experienced some muscle pain in her upper arm, where the shot was administered ... and she says that's pretty standard.

Like Sandra, Adam Berman works at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center and also got vaccinated Monday. While he understands the skepticism some people have, he's imploring the public to trust scientists ... and get the shot.

Sandra, Adam and Dr. Passaretti also tell us their vaccinated co-workers are also doing great too, with nothing more than some sore arms.

Don't worry ... Brandon Moreno's nuts are okay!!

This, after the UFC star took a ferocious kick to the gonads from Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 256 -- a shot that was so powerful Moreno was dry heaving in the Octagon.

It's been 4 days since that insane fight between Moreno and Figueiredo -- an instant classic that was judged a majority draw -- and you can see the bruises all over Moreno's face.

So, we had to ask ... how his "twins" were doing after that ferocious low blow, and Brandon filled us in.

“In that moment, it was very painful. Was very, very painful because he throws a really, really hard direct to there. I don't say it was intentional, but man it was a nasty kick directly to my balls," Moreno says.

"I think this the first time when a referee told me if I wanted to rest a little bit, my first time saying, 'Yes, please I need this moment.'"

Naturally, one of the first things Moreno's wife, Shirley, asked about after the fight was her husband's junk.

"My wife asked me the same, 'Hey, you fine?' Like, 'Yeah baby, no problem.'"

There's more ... Moreno says he doesn't feel any sympathy for Figueiredo after learning his opponent was hospitalized until 2 AM on fight day with a bad stomach infection.

"Before the fight, I don't know anything about [Deiveson] being sick. He was in the hospital, but man, in this world of Martial Arts, that is very normal. I had like two fights in the company, I was very sick to my stomach, but I never said nothing because it's my problem."

In fact, Moreno thinks Deiveson is using the medical situation as an excuse for not winning the fight.

The first vaccine in New York was administered Monday -- and the person they chose to give it to speaks volumes about very real concerns regarding safety and mistrust of the government.

The recipient was intensive-care nurse Sandra Lindsay, a Black woman working in healthcare, and she got the shot at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens. Before the deed was done, Sandra was hailed for her bravery ... for getting vaccinated in public, and for months of work treating COVID patients on the front lines.

As the doctor, also a woman of color, injected the needle ... Sandra didn't even flinch, and got a big round of applause.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo was on standby, watching the inoculation virtually. He noted Sandra didn't make a fuss about it and that the doc who did it -- Dr. Chester --- must have a good touch. Sandra responded that it felt like any other shot or vaccine she's gotten before.

The fact New York decided to publicize the first Pfizer vaccination with 2 women of color shouldn't be lost on folks.

As we've mentioned, and as the federal government has noted too, African-Americans are highly suspicious of this vaccination effort, and many say they won't take it or don't trust it.

There's a myriad of reasons why, but we got an up-close and personal look at that mindset this weekend with none other than Offset ... who told us straight-up he wasn't planning to get the shot.

Meghan Markle's so inspired by stories of compassion she's witnessing through the pandemic, she decided to make a surprise appearance to honor those very heroes.

The Duchess of Sussex made an unscheduled appearance on CNN's 'Heroes' special Sunday night to thank "individuals (who) stood up and made sure the most basic needs of our communities were met. They made sure those around them did not have to suffer in isolation."

It's the first time Meghan has made a public statement since her op-ed in the New York Times last month, revealing she'd suffered a miscarriage in the summer. She and Prince Harry -- who left their royal roles in March -- have kept a low profile since moving to California, but still found ways to help here.

TMZ broke the story ... the couple quietly delivered quality food to needy folks back in April. Then, at the start of the school year, they dished out school supplies to students in need.

These images could foretell the end of the pandemic -- trucks have never looked so awesome!!!

FedEx and UPS trucks rolled out of Pfizer's Kalamazoo, Michigan parking lot, carrying massive amounts of vaccine doses.

Fact is ... FedEx and UPS are competitors, but they've put all that on ice ... speaking of which, the vaccine vials are being kept in sub-freezing temps to maintain their efficacy.

The trucks will be headed to 145 sites that will receive their shipments between Monday and Wednesday. If you've got Xmas presents you're sending by FedEx or UPS ... they are behind all the vaccines in priority ... and thank God for that.

The precious cargo is being guarded by U.S. Marshals, just in case.

There aren't nearly enough vaccines yet to inoculate all Americans ... that will happen sometime in the spring. Problem is, to achieve herd immunity, 70% of Americans must get the shot, but it looks like around 40% aren't going to do it ... at least that's their current thinking -- because of safety issues and mistrust -- and both issues are real and have to be addressed.

The woman who plowed into a half dozen protesters on the streets of New York says she was in fear for her life after protesters screamed, "White privilege, Bitch!" and started pounding on her car.

Kathleen Casillo was driving her BMW with her 29-year-old daughter in NYC Friday when she stopped at a light where protesters were gathered demonstrating against ICE. She says they started banging on her car and pulling the door handles to get inside. She says she feared for her and her daughter's lives, saying images from news reports of drivers being pulled from their cars and beaten flashed before her eyes.

The 52-year-old woman says she floored it in fear, and doesn't even remember hitting anyone.

Hit people she did ... 6 to be exact, who were propelled into the air like rag dolls. All 6 suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Jocko Sims plays Dr. Floyd Reynolds on the medical drama "New Amsterdam," but he's not playing around with COVID ... he says everyone needs to get inoculated.

We got the masked-up actor outside in NYC's Hell's Kitchen and asked about the skepticism over the vaccine ... especially among Black people.

Jocko tells us he understands why his community is hesitant to get medicine courtesy of the U.S. government -- there's a disgraceful historical context -- but he says he's witnessed the carnage firsthand, so the vaccine is a choice of life over death.

The TV doc heaps praise on Obama, W. Bush and Clinton for agreeing to show themselves get needled on video ... to show others it's effective and safe.

As we told you ... Gayle King is also imploring people to follow the lead of the former presidents and trust the vaccine, trust science, and trust Dr. Fauci.

This type of reassurance might be vital as the vaccine becomes available to the public, especially in the African-American community. As we reported ... a new study shows only 14% of African-Americans trust the vaccine will be safe and only 18% trust it'll be effective.

Rep. Andre Carson's 5-second pause, when asked if he'll get vaccinated against COVID-19, underscores the hesitation most African-Americans have ... but he believes that can change.

We got the U.S. Congressman on Capitol Hill Thursday and he addressed the new study showing only 14% of African-Americans trust the vaccine will be safe -- in short, he's not surprised.

The congressman brought up America's ugly history when it comes to medical research on Black citizens -- most notably the Tuskegee experiments with syphilis on 600 Black men.

However, Andre also pointed to the work of Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett ... the African-American scientist who helped develop one of the COVID-19 vaccines.

He believes that will help start the "healing" process necessary for African-Americans to trust vaccines, but stressed ... it's just a start.

A recreational surfer was attacked by a shark in Maui on Tuesday -- forcing a pro surfing competition to go on hold until it's safe to get back in the water.

Officials in Hawaii confirm a 56-year-old man was badly injured in the attack while paddling out at Honolua Bay.

The details of his injuries are unclear but officials say the man was treated on shore and then raced to a hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

The Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources released pictures of the surfer's board ... and it looks like a prop from a "Jaws" movie.

The shark attack took place near the World Surfing League's Maui Women's Pro surf contest ... and event organizers decided to suspend action out of an abundance of caution.

"There will be no competition at the Maui Pro [Tuesday] following a shark incident involving a recreational surfer this morning at Honolua Bay," the WSL said in a statement.

"The WSL is working with authorities and our thoughts are with the victim of this incident. The Maui Pro is on hold until further notice."

The DNLR says both county and state officials are working on the situation and evaluating the danger.

No word on the victim's current health status -- but here's hoping he's okay.

Dr. Anthony Fauci wants Black Americans skeptical about the COVID-19 vaccines to know a Black woman was at the forefront of creating one of them ... so fear not.

The nation's leading infectious disease expert spoke Tuesday at an event hosted by the National Urban League and, while discussing racism in medical research and how it's created mistrust ... Fauci put a spotlight on the contributions of Black scientists in the historic development of COVID vaccines ... most notably Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett.

While it might have sounded awkward, Fauci was simply addressing the elephant in the room -- a new study shows only 14% of African-Americans trust the vaccine will be safe and only 18% trust it'll be effective. That's alarming, considering a large portion of the country needs to get vaccinated in order to beat the virus which has disproportionally affected people of color.

Corbett's a pretty big deal in the medical research world. She's the lead scientist for coronavirus vaccine research at Fauci's National Institute of Health. She was also part of the team that worked with Moderna to develop its vaccine that's expected to get emergency use authorization from the FDA and be rolled out later this month.

Louis Nix III -- a former star Notre Dame defensive lineman -- was shot in the chest in a horrifying incident in Florida ... but thankfully, he says he's doing alright now.

Cops in Jacksonville, FL say they responded to a gunfire call at around 9 PM Tuesday at a local gas station ... and found Nix lying wounded on the ground.

Officers say emergency medical personnel immediately rushed Nix to the hospital ... and there, a doctor told them Nix had said he appeared to be the victim of an attempted robbery.

In the police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, cops say doctors told them Nix said, "the suspects put a flashlight into his face" and said something along the lines of "give me..." to him.

Officers say doctors told them Nix felt a gunshot to the chest when he pushed one of the suspects away.

In a video Nix recorded and posted to social media shortly after the incident ... you can see he was terrified about possibly losing his life due to the injuries.

In the clip, Nix -- who had a heavy bandage on his chest -- said, "If I don't make it, I really do love everybody."

Thankfully, in an update Nix posted to his official Facebook page on Wednesday, the 29-year-old said he's doing better.

"I'm alive everyone," Nix said. "The bullet that hit me ricocheted off my sternum into my lung. Surgery is the next step so keep praying for me."

Nix balled out in his 3 seasons as a starter for Notre Dame from 2011 to 2013 ... and he was eventually drafted by the Houston Texans in the 3rd round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Nix played for Houston, the Giants, Washington and Jacksonville up until the 2016 season.

According to the report, one witness said the suspects fled from the scene before officers arrived. No arrests have been made yet, and the investigation is ongoing.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is opening up about his personal health struggles -- revealing he's had TWO bouts with cancer AND a major heart surgery.

The 73-year-old NBA legend spells it all out in an essay for WebMD in which he argues about racial inequality with the current health care system in the U.S.

In his article, KAJ goes into detail about his own health issues -- admitting his fame and wealth have given him advantages that "many others in the Black community do not have."

As Kareem points out ... "I’ve been fortunate because my celebrity has brought me enough financial security to receive excellent medical attention."

"No one wants an NBA legend dying on their watch. Imagine the Yelp reviews."

In his article, Kareem says he was diagnosed with leukemia in 2008 -- but doesn't specify when he battled prostate cancer or underwent heart surgery.

Kareem says he's also "lucky" one of his sons is an orthopedic surgeon and another is a hospital administrator ... which means, "Dad gets to nag them for medical advice whenever he wants."

As for the racial issues with health care, Kareem says Black Americans are "most in need of medical services" but "they actually receive the lowest level."

Kareem says the issue of insufficient health care for Black people is a "more insidious and damaging threat" to the community than police brutality.

He points out the COVID-19 pandemic as an example ... claiming the death rate among Black people is 3.6 times higher than white people.

Part of that reason, KAJ says, is the underlying conditions Black people experience due to the systemic racism that still exists today.

"Having lesser education, and less financial resources, means less opportunity to compete for higher education, which means less opportunity for better paying jobs."

The solution?? Abdul-Jabbar says we must continue to fight systemic racism on a daily basis ... and not let the foot off the gas.

Mass coronavirus vaccination efforts are underway in England, and some guy named William Shakespeare was one of the first to get it ... which has to be some sorta good sign, right?

The 81-year-old man -- yes, that's really his name -- got a shot of the newly approved coronavirus vaccine Tuesday. Bill got the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at University Hospital Coventry ... which happens to be about 20 miles from Stratford-Upon-Avon, the birthplace of the OG Shakespeare.

As amusing as his name is ... ol' Shakespeare will only hold the title of first man to get the COVID-19 vaccine (outside of clinical trials) -- but the first person to get it is actually 90-year-old Margaret Keenan ... who kicked off the country's largest-ever immunization program.

The grandmother received a round of applause Tuesday morning from the nurses and medical staff at the university hospital as she returned to her ward after receiving the shot.

Of course, with the internet being what it is ... clever folks began to ask -- If Keenan was vaccine patient 1A, would that make Shakespeare 2B or not 2B?

As we've reported ... trial results in America are very encouraging as well, and vaccinations are set to begin soon, once the FDA approval process is done.

Rick Ross says he's been exactly where millions of Americans are today -- avoiding doctor visits due to lack of healthcare -- which is why he's backing an affordable new option.

Da Boss and healthcare vet/entrepreneur Tommy Duncan joined us on "TMZ Live" to discuss their telehealth app, Jetdoc ... and reveal why the music mogul jumped into healthcare. Rick told us part of it is personal, and part of is addressing what's become an obvious need.

As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic forced clinics/hospitals to pivot and rethink how doctors can treat and diagnose patients during lockdowns. As a result, nearly 25 million people used a telehealth service between March and October, and the vast majority of them were satisfied with the service.

Enter Rick Ross and Tommy, who've both coped with serious health issues -- Rick's battled seizures, and Tommy suffered a stroke at just 30 years old. Still, the rapper says he knows all too well that people who don't have access to health insurance avoid getting medical care ... and he wants to change that.

The duo told us Jetdoc, available for download on Google Play and the App Store, is incredibly reasonable at just $20 for the first virtual urgent care visit or $10 a month for an unlimited membership.

Scary scene in Pittsburgh ... blood POURED out of Alex Smith's shin after he was stepped on by a teammate -- but, thankfully, it was NOT the QB's surgically repaired leg, and he was able to return to the game.

Smith dropped back for a pass late in the 2nd quarter of Washington's game against the Steelers on Monday ... when one of his lineman slashed his shin with a cleat.

The video of the injury was WILD ... blood was coming out of Smith's leg so fast, it soaked through his sock and gushed onto his foot.

Not wanting to miss any game action ... Smith just had team trainers tape up the wound -- AND THEN HE CAME BACK IN!!!

Alex was able to lead his team down the field for a field goal just before the half ... and he's now in the locker room getting treatment.

Of course, the whole scene was pretty terrifying at first ... because it looked like the injury might have occurred on the same leg Smith had previously broken back in 2018.

Fortunately, Smith avoided any kind of repeat scenario ... and he appears poised to try to lead WFT to a comeback win over the Steelers in the second half.