US Vice President-elect, Kamala Harris, receives the first dose of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, 29 December. This was broadcast live on television in an attempt to instil more confidence in American citizens to get inoculated, reported Reuters.
Kamala Harris is the first woman Vice President in the country, as well as the first Indian-American, Black Vice President. She took the first shot of the coronavirus vaccine at the United Medical Centre in Washington DC, an area which has a huge African-American Community, reported AFP.
The Biden administration, which will take office on 20 January, has emphasised the importance of getting vaccinated, especially for non-white or marginalised groups. Reports indicate the African-American community is showing the most skepticism for getting inoculated and have disproportionately high levels of death and illness due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reported AFP.
“It’s literally about saving lives. I trust the scientists, and it is the scientists who have approved and created the vaccine. So I urge everyone, when it is your turn, get vaccinated,” said Harris at UMC Hospital, right after her inoculation.
Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff was also given the vaccine on Tuesday.
Kamala Harris took to twitter to announce that the Biden administration’s focus for the first 100 days of office will be to distribute 100 million shots, focus on resuming university and schools and work on getting Americans to wear masks.
Incoming US President, Joe Biden, got the first dose of the vaccine last week on live television on 21 December. His administration has promised to prioritise mitigating the coronavirus pandemic, which has so far infected 19 million American citizens and killed over 334000, reported AFP.
(With inputs from AFP and Reuters.)
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