Vice President Mike Pence received the COVID-19 vaccine on live television Friday morning to instill confidence in the American public that the newly approved shot is safe.
Pence, Second Lady Karen Pence, and Surgeon General Jerome Adams took turns and were bumped into in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building near the White House.
They were the first high-ranking White House officials to receive the vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and approved in the United States a week ago.
“I didn’t feel anything, well done,” said Pence afterwards. “Make no mistake. It’s a medical miracle. “
He added, “Today Karen and I wanted to take a step forward and take this vaccine to reassure the American people while we cut red tape and cut corners.
“The American people can be assured that we have a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine for you and your family – maybe in two hours -” said the vice president, referring to Moderna’s vaccine, which was announced Thursday for the FDA Approval was recommended.
Adams warmly thanked the researchers who developed the Pfizer vaccine, noting that his history of asthma and high blood pressure put him at a higher risk of a severe case of COVID-19.
“I am very aware of my own increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and the comorbidity that increases my risk for complications,” he said. “As a US surgeon general and a black man, I am equally aware of the symbolic meaning of my vaccination today.”
Earlier this week, Pence toured a vaccine manufacturing facility in Indiana.
“The last thing I would say to any American is to be confident that we’ve cut red tape, but we haven’t cut back on developing this vaccine,” he said.
President-elect Joe Biden will be given the vaccination in a public setting next week, according to CNN, while Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris will soon have one too.
President Trump has not yet received the vaccine.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, said Biden and Harris should get vaccinated as soon as possible “for safety” and before taking office next month.
Fauci said Trump should also plan to get vaccinated, although there isn’t enough research on whether those who had the virus, like Trump, should get the vaccine.
“Although the president himself was infected and likely has antibodies that would likely protect, we’re not sure how long that protection will last,” Fauci recently told ABC News. “To be doubly sure, I would recommend that he be vaccinated just like the Vice-President.”
With postal wires