US vice president-elect Kamala Harris received her first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on live television on Tuesday as the incoming Biden administration seeks to boost confidence in the shots. She received her first dose of the Moderna vaccine at the United Medical Center (UMC) in Washington DC.
“That was easy!” Harris exclaimed after receiving the shot and thanked the nurse saying that “she barely felt it.” She also thanked UMC for serving the community which she called was “often overlooked.” “I have now been vaccinated. As Joe [Biden] likes to say there is a big difference between the vaccine and the vaccinations. I want to encourage everyone to get the vaccine. It is relatively painless. It happens really quickly. It is safe,” Harris said while addressing reporters after receiving the jab.
Harris confirmed that her husband Douglas Emhoff would also be vaccinated on Tuesday and that she looks forward to receiving the next dose. The VP-elect also urged people to get vaccinated in their turns and stressed that the vaccination is about saving lives of self, family and the community. “It’s literally about saving lives. I trust the scientists. And it is the scientists who created and approved this vaccine,” she said.
When asked about the motive to get vaccinated at the UMC was to “dispel fears and mistrust in the minority community” about the vaccines. Harris said she wanted to remind people to take their vaccine in their respective communities.
“I’m in Anacostia today because, first of all, we have phenomenal healthcare providers like nurse Patricia, who serve our community and we have hospitals and medical centres and clinics like this all over the country who are staffed by people who understand the community, who often come from the community, and who administer all year trusted healthcare. And so I want to remind people that right in your community is where you can take the vaccine, where you will receive the vaccine,” she added.
President-elect Joe Biden had also received his Covid-19 vaccine on live television on December 21, in an effort to allay doubts and fears among the public about the safety of the vaccines. Biden and Harris have been vocal about the Covid-19 pandemic in the US and has made it their central priority during their presidential election campaign.
