Harris receives the first dose of Moderna vaccine on camera
The US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has received the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine live on television as part of efforts to build public trust in the inoculation process Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff were administered the vaccine at United Medical Center in Washington, DC, a week after President-elect Joe Biden received the COVID-19 vaccine.
Harris urged Americans to get vaccinated
"Let's do it," Harris said before she received her shot on Tuesday. Harris described the process as "relatively painless." She added, "It's about saving your life, the life of your family members, and the life of your community." "I trust scientists who created and approved this vaccine. So I urge everyone, when it is your turn, get vaccinated," Harris said.
Biden and Pence were also administered COVID-19 vaccine on-camera
Earlier, US President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, received their first doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech coronavirus vaccine on December 21 at Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware. Current Vice President Mike Pence was administered the vaccine at an on-camera event the week prior to Biden. Biden and Harris staggered their vaccinations at the recommendation of medical experts, according to transition spokesperson Jen Psaki.
Why was staggered vaccination recommended?
The news organization Cable News Network (CNN) said that the reason for such a recommendation could be that if Biden and Harris reported any side effects, such as a headache or fever, they would not experience them on the same day.
Other elected officials administered the COVID-19 vaccine
Many elected officials and doctors have received coronavirus vaccines on camera to show that the shots are safe. Several key members of Congress have also been inoculated, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, received Moderna's vaccine.
Emergency use authorization of COVID-19 vaccines by FDA
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization to Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Both vaccines have shown similar efficacy levels of nearly 95%, and require two doses administered several weeks apart. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 335,000 in the US.
