the coronavirus crisis
Pelosi, McConnell receive COVID-19 vaccine
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have now both received Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, while President-elect Joe Biden is set to get the vaccine in a few days.
Pelosi said Friday that she received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine "with confidence in science," encouraging Americans to "continue mask wearing, social distancing & other science-based steps to save lives & crush the virus" while it rolls out.
McConnell, meanwhile, also shared Friday that he received the "safe, effective COVID vaccine," adding that "vaccines are how we beat this virus."
Biden is also set to receive the vaccine on Monday, and he will do so publicly "to send a clear message to the public, that it's safe and consistent with security and medical protocols," Jen Psaki, Biden's White House press secretary pick, said, per Axios. The Pfizer vaccine requires a second dose.
Vice President Mike Pence earlier on Friday received the Pfizer vaccine on live television, afterward encouraging Americans to have confidence in the process that led to its approval, saying that "while we cut red tape, we cut no corners." Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, described this as an "important" symbol to "tell the rest of the country, the time is now to step to the plate and, when your time comes, to get vaccinated."
Numerous public figures, including former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, have volunteered to receive their COVID-19 vaccine in public to help combat any skepticism about the vaccine, which the Food and Drug Administration determined is safe and effective. It isn't clear when President Trump will receive the vaccine or whether he will also do so on camera.