Nurse!

President-elect Biden is one big step closer to inoculation against COVID-19 after taking the shot in his left arm ... and actually thanking President Trump's administration for making it happen.

Joe and Dr. Jill Biden went to a hospital Monday afternoon in Newark, Delaware ... and after a little small talk with the nurse practitioner, got right to doing the deed. The Prez-elect kept a straight face, no wincing, as nurse Tabe Masa injected him with the Pfizer vaccine.

Afterward, he thanked the heroes ... "Scientists, front line workers, the ones who actually did the clinical work," and said we all owe them a huge debt.

He turned to Nurse Masa and said, "We owe you big. We really do" -- but then added, "The administration deserves some credit for getting this off the ground ... Operation Warp Speed."

Biden's said he wants to bridge the divide with Trump's supporters ... and giving POTUS his due could go a long way.

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams says LeBron James can help end the pandemic ... explaining Monday if the NBA superstar takes the COVID vaccine, others will follow suit.

"LeBron James, I know you’ve been a big supporter of masks," Adams said on KTLA. "I want to know when you’re going to take the shot. Not the basketball shot, but the COVID shot."

"Because I did it because I know it’s safe, and we want to make sure people understand this is how we end the pandemic.”

Adams says if LeBron publicly vouches for the vaccine ... he's confident it could send a HUGE message to anti-vaxxers.

"That's how we promote confidence," Adams said. "We want people to lead by example."

Adams says he hasn't been able to personally reach out to LBJ with the request -- but he said if he were able to get a hold of the L.A. Lakers champ, he'd tell him to urge others to donate plasma as well.

London is in COVID free fall, as thousands of travelers crammed into train stations for the Xmas holiday ... this as a new, more virulent mutation of the virus rips across the country.

The size of these crowds is alarming, as this new form of the virus infects the population. The mutant virus spreads 70% faster than the original. Scientists think the vaccine will still work on the mutation, but they're not sure.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was in mortal danger himself after contracting the virus earlier this year, was pushing to relax COVID restrictions, but he's abandoned that effort.

As for the new strain, it accounted for 28% of the COVID cases in London back in November, but this month it accounts for 62% of the cases.

The government imposed travel bans Saturday, but apparently, thousands of travelers didn't get the memo, because the train stations throughout London were jammed.

The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy and Germany have suspended flights to England because of the COVID mutation.

Scientists are looking for the next Elvis Presley to tamp down resistance to the COVID vaccine ... and if they're lucky they'll find someone as effective as The King.

Dr. Anthony Fauci has already said he's looking for celebrities, athletes and other influencers to shoot video of them taking the vaccine, to assuage fears and skepticism, which is considerable.

Turns out back in 1956, when polio was raging in the U.S., a huge percentage of young people resisted Jonas Salk's vaccine. In New York City, only 10% of young people got the shot a full year after it was on the market.

Enter Elvis ... who agreed to become the poster boy for the vaccine. The March of Dimes recruited him to get a shot while photographers snapped away.  Elvis obliged, smiling as he got stuck, and it made a difference.

The question ... who's today's Elvis? Beyonce's a candidate, for sure, but times are more complicated and people more cynical. Polio didn't become a political football the way COVID has, so it's going to be harder. Fact is ... the most influential person to influence others might be Dr. Fauci himself, who's about to turn 80.

Willie Roaf says he ain't surprised Drew Brees is returning so soon from a punctured lung and broken ribs ... telling TMZ Sports the QB is one of the baddest dudes to ever suit up in the NFL!!

"Drew Brees is probably one of the toughest guys mentally you're going to meet to ever play," Roaf says. "He's focused, he's ultra-competitive and it just motivates him."

Brees busted up his core in back-to-back games just a couple weeks ago ... cracking some ribs against the Bucs on Nov. 8 and doing even more damage a week later.

41-year-old Drew took a big hit early in the Saints' win over the 49ers ... and it was later revealed the shot punctured his lung and fractured even MORE ribs.

Most thought the dude would miss around two months ... but Saints coach Sean Payton confirmed Friday that Brees would be under center for the huge New Orleans-Kansas City tilt on Sunday.

And, when we spoke to Roaf about it all ... the legendary offensive lineman told us if the team cleared the QB to play, then people shouldn't worry too much about him.

"If he can deal with the pain and it's not gonna get worse -- he's not going to get injured -- I guess they're saying he's OK to play," Roaf said.

By the way, Roaf played for both the Chiefs and the Saints in his Hall of Fame career ... so, who's he got on Sunday?

Dr. Anthony Fauci has saved Xmas by making a secret sojourn to the North Pole ... armed with the COVID vaccine.

The good Doc was on CNN Saturday, fielding questions from worried kids who fear Santa has been sidelined by the virus. No Santa means no presents, right?

Well, Dr. Tony let the kiddies in on a little secret ... he slinked away from his desk over at the NIH and made the trek to the Pole, where he inoculated Santa himself.

Fauci got all scientific, saying he measured Santa's immunity level and he was good to go.

So Fauci had 2 saves in 2020. He promises to save us from COVID with various measures he's advocated and put in place, and he saved Christmas.

Marco Rubio did his part to show America the COVID vaccine is A-OK ... but how's the Senator from Florida so damn pale?!!

A self-deprecating Rubio said, "I know I looked away from the needle And yes, I know I need a tan But I am so confident that the #Covid19 vaccine is safe & effective that I decided to take it myself."

Members of Congress are among the first in line for the vaccine, given that they need to stay healthy to run the country, even though as a group they have failed miserably for months in coming up with a relief package for struggling Americans.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell have also gotten the vaccine, as did Vice President Pence.

Joe Biden will get the vaccine next week and he will do so on camera. The idea is to show the country the leaders who are advocating vaccinations are walking the walk.

John Wayne Bobbitt's toe met the same fate as his penis ... both went on the chopping block.

John -- whose penis was notoriously hacked off by his then-wife Lorena while he was sleeping -- just had another gruesome amputation to his extremities.

JWB tells TMZ ... two toes on his right foot have now been amputated, and the first amputation triggered the second.

John explains he lost his big toe on his right foot last year after a callous formed, and an infection spread to the bone. He says that led to the next little piggy getting chopped off.

JWB tells us his second right toe was amputated last weekend at a hospital in Vegas. He says the toe was fractured because his previously amputated big toe left him with no support on the foot, and as he limped around, the pressure he was putting on the second toe caused it to shift and break.

Making matters worse ... his left foot was in a cast as doctors weighed amputation on that body part, which only added to the strain.

Remember, John says he suffers from neuropathy so he didn't know the toe was fractured until he went to a doctor for a checkup. He says the doc noticed the problems right away and recommended amputation.

John says he's been released from the hospital yet again and now he's got a bandage on his right foot and special shoes so he can walk. He tells us he also uses a knee scooter to get around.

JWB says he's on the mend and is finally feeling healthy ... but he's still got a lot of work to do and he's seeing a podiatrist.

He's been through so much. Still, the first cut is the deepest.

Another huge milestone in Keyontae Johnson's recovery -- the Univ. of Florida basketball star just did the Gator Chomp from his hospital bed!!

It's been almost a week since Johnson collapsed on the court in a game against Florida State. He was hospitalized in Tallahassee and was eventually transported back to the UF hospital in Gainesville.

Johnson was placed in a medically induced coma after the incident -- but has since woken up and has made tremendous progress in his recovery.

You can see in the new video ... Johnson is talking, smiling and moving his arms (hence the "Chomp"). It's all great to see.

"First and foremost, I would like to thank God," Johnson says.

"I know you all have been sending your prayers out the last few weeks and me and my parents are very grateful for all the prayers that have been going out."

"To all the doctors and medical staff at Tallahassee Memorial and UF Shands, I just want to say thank you for all the support you gave me."

"To my Gator Nation and UF athletic family, I just want to thank you for all the prayers you gave out to me."

Great to see -- and hopefully he'll continue to get better ... and maybe even get back on the court sometime soon.

Pfizer says it's sitting on liquid gold -- a warehouse packed with the COVID-19 vaccine -- but it can't get word from the government on where to ship them.

The pharma giant made the shocking revelation in response to allegations it was having issues with production and distribution of its vaccine after successfully shipping the first batch out earlier this week. Nearly 3 million doses have already been sent out, but now Pfizer's pointing a finger at the federal government.

Pfizer says, "We have millions more doses sitting in our warehouse but, as of now, we have not received any shipment instructions for additional doses."

Bizarre, right?

The news comes as Moderna is on the verge of getting the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization, which would put 2 COVID vaccines on the open market.

Here's Nelson Agholor proving NFL players are still REALLY, REALLY freakin' tough ...

The Las Vegas Raiders receiver gruesomely dislocated his finger mid-game against the Chargers on Thursday ... but the dude barely missed any time over the gnarly injury!!

It all went down in the 3rd quarter of Las Vegas' loss to Los Angeles ... when Agholor dropped a pass and his hands came crashing down to the grass.

You can see in video of the incident, his whole body weight landed on his pinky ... and it looked like the digit snapped in half!!!

Agholor immediately knew something was wrong ... he waved his jacked-up finger to his sideline -- and trainers tended to him right away.

The craziest part about it all, though? HE RETURNED AFTER JUST ONE PLAY!!!

In fact, Agholor went on to record a couple more catches after trainers popped his finger back in place ... and the dude finished the night with a total of 49 receiving yards!

Drew Brees is BACK as the starting QB for the Saints -- just 4 weeks after being diagnosed with 11 broken ribs and a punctured lung!!!

The 41-year-old has missed the past 4 games due to the injuries -- and just this week, head coach Sean Payton suggested it would be another week or so before Brees was back under center.

But ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Friday morning that Brees has been cleared by doctors and will start at QB on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Brees is NOT back to 100%, according to ESPN's Dianna Russini who says Drew is still dealing with soreness but plans on toughing it out.

"I was told that Drew has had a really strong week at practice," Russini said on "Get Up" ... "It started on Monday afternoon with trainers. They didn't expect him to look as good as he did. But they said he's sharp, he's healthy."

As for the soreness, Russini explained it this way -- "It's not so much about the health on the field, it's the next day -- dealing with that soreness."

"And while there is soreness there, [my source] made it very clear Drew is not 100%. He's more in the 85% to 90% range, he's able to handle it ... it's not something that's too overwhelming for Drew Brees."

More great news regarding the recovery of University of Florida basketball star Keyontae Johnson who continues to make great progress less than a week after he collapsed on the court.

But, he's awake and was reportedly talking with friends and family members earlier this week.

Remember, Johnson was placed into a medically induced coma after the incident during Saturday's Florida vs. Florida State game in Tallahassee.

Now, UF athletic director Scott Stricklin has another update ... saying, "Keyontae Johnson continues to show truly encouraging signs of progress as he undergoes tests and further evaluation at UF Health."

"He and his family have again expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of love, prayers and well-wishes."

Stricklin also announced the school has postponed the team's next 3 scheduled basketball games in the wake of Keyontae's situation.

"This has been an emotionally taxing time for Keyontae's family, friends and teammates," Stricklin said.

"Our hope is that everyone impacted will take an opportunity to process those emotions and regroup ahead of the start of the new year."

People who are getting the coronavirus vaccine don't know what's coming next -- that 2nd shot could hit like a ton of bricks, according to a guy who volunteered for Pfizer's study.

Eric Gross joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday, and laid out his experience getting both doses of the vaccine during Pfizer's clinical trials. He said the first injection made his arm a little sore -- which we've heard from others this week -- but he says the 2nd shot is a whole different ballgame.

In Eric's experience, it left him feeling sicker than he's ever felt in his life, although not for too long. He has an analogy for his body's reaction -- think sucker punch in the face. Watch the vid, it's a great explanation.

As you know ... healthcare workers in America started getting the first round of vaccinations Monday and folks like Sandra Lindsay, the intensive care nurse who got the first shot in New York, told us so far, so good ... as far as any reactions or side effects.

Eric also talked to us about the story TMZ broke -- that volunteers who got the placebo during the trial pressured Pfizer to let them get the real deal.

Membership has its benefits -- people who participated in Pfizer's vaccine trial, but only got the placebo, now have the chance to get the real vaccine earlier ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Pfizer notified study participants earlier this week about the shift in policy -- giving people who got the placebo the chance to get the shot as early as Friday.

We're told some study participants, who got the placebo, were upset they had put their lives on the line, but were getting no benefit. In fact, Pfizer says 162 placebo patients ended up later coming down with COVID-19. By comparison ... of the participants who got the vaccine, only 8 got infected later.

Pfizer emailed instructions this week to the study group about when they can get the vaccine. As with the general public, healthcare workers and nursing home residents will go first ... as soon as Friday.

Others will get the opportunity in January or February ... about 6 months after they got their second placebo shot.

We're told no one during the study was told whether they'd gotten the placebo or the vaccine -- but they all figured it out pretty easily. Those who got the vaccine felt ill -- a normal reaction to the shot -- while placebo patients were fine.

NHL star Henrik Lundqvist will NOT be suiting up for the Washington Capitals this season ... with the goalie revealing he's battling a heart condition that will prevent him from playing.

"It breaks my heart (literally) to share this news: I will not be joining the Capitals this upcoming season," Lundqvist said Thursday.

"After many weeks of tests and conversations with specialists around the country, it's been determined that a heart condition will prevent me from taking the ice."

"Together, we have decided that the risk of playing before remedying my condition is too high, so I will spend the coming months figuring out the best course of action."

Lundqvist -- who joined the Caps on a 1-year deal in October after playing with the New York Rangers from 2005-20 -- said he was excited for his fresh start in D.C. ... but admits "we knew there was only one way to go from here" after his most recent test results.

"I will take the next few weeks to be with my family and I'll be back to share the next steps."

The Caps also released a statement Thursday ... saying, "The Washington Capitals are supportive of Henrik's decision to step away from hockey at this time due to his heart condition."

"Our players' health is of the utmost importance. And we stand behind Henrik's decision."

"We want to wish him and his family all the best moving forward."