US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris received the Moderna coronavirus vaccine on live television in a bid to boost public confidence. Harris is the second high-profile person from an ethnic minority background to receive the shot.
She also tweeted an image of her receiving the vaccine and wrote, "Today I got the COVID-19 vaccine. I am incredibly grateful to our frontline health care workers, scientists and researchers who made this moment possible. When you're able to take the vaccine, get it. This is about saving lives."
After receiving the injection in her upper left arm, she said, "I barely felt it." She was further quoted by Reuters as saying, "I want to encourage everyone to get the vaccine- it is relatively painless... it is safe... it's literally about saving lives. I trust scientists."
Joe Biden, who takes office on January 20, said he will make the COVID-19 pandemic management his top priority. He, along with his wife, Jill Biden received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose on live television last week. In the US, more than 19 million Americans have been infected with the contagion and over 334,000 have succumbed to COVID-19.
Biden and his COVID-19 advisory board have repeatedly warned Americans about the logistical issues surrounding COVID-19 vaccines distribution. They have also urged people to listen to medical experts to avoid COVID-19 infection.
Dr Atul Gawande, a member of Biden's COVID-19 advisory board has said that the transition team still does not have complete information needed to understand the issues hampering vaccine distribution. Trump administration may have set an unrealistic target of vaccinating all Americans by the end of June 2021.
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