President-elect Joe Biden has received the first of two doses that he will get of the coronavirus vaccine.
Biden and incoming first lady Jill Biden were given the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Wilmington, Delaware, Monday in part as a way to help increase confidence in the shot. A second vaccine from Moderna was approved last week by the Food and Drug Administration.
While the future president was vaccinated on live TV Monday afternoon at Christiana Hospital by nurse Tabe Mase, his wife received the jab in the morning.
“I’m doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared, when it’s available, to take the vaccine. There’s nothing to worry about. I’m looking forward to the second shot,” he said.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and Douglas Emhoff, the future second gentleman, will roll up their sleeves next week. Biden transition spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters last Friday that the team’s health advisers warned against Biden and Harris being vaccinated at the same time and place.
“I’m not going into more details,” she said. “But it was their recommendation they do it separately, and they stagger those doses.”
Biden’s vaccination coincides with the United Kingdom introducing restrictive travel and gathering measures ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays as a COVID-19 variant spreads around that country.
The Bidens join a growing list of leaders to receive a COVID-19 jab. Vice President Mike Pence was vaccinated last week, as was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
