Comedian Steve Martin got a COVID-19 vaccine this week, and he was one of the first professionals to crack a joke about it. Martin took to Twitter on Sunday to announce that he had been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. When fans asked how he felt, he joked: “I’m having no fide resects.”
“Good news/Bad news,” Martin tweeted this weekend. “Good news: I just got vaccinated! Bad news: I got it because I’m 75. Ha!” The comedian went on to describe his vaccination in New York City as “smooth as silk,” adding that he got it from the U.S. Army and National Guard. He went on: “Thank you all, and thank you science.” Martin then quote-tweeted some of the replies, asking about the process.
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Right now, I’m having no fide resects. https://t.co/SUYyvOexeW
— Steve Martin (@SteveMartinToGo) January 17, 2021
One fan asked Martin some logistical questions about his vaccination — “How did you get the shot, where did you sign up. We cannot find a place for my 83-year-old mother-in-law who lives in NYC.” Martin did his best to explain how the New York state website led him to a vaccination site at the Javitz Center in Manhattan.
In a now-deleted tweet, another person asked Martin if he was experiencing any side-effects from the vaccine. Here, Martin seemed unable to resist cracking a joke, rearranging the letters to say “fide resects.”
The quip got a few thousand likes, but not nearly as many as the original post about his vaccination. Many fans replied with their own jokes about vaccines, most referencing the anti-vaccination movement and the accompanying conspiracy theories.
Jokes aside, disinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines remains a prominent issue in the U.S. Many Americans are uneasy about a drug developed so quickly, with so many regulatory processes fast-tracked to help end the pandemic quickly. Thankfully, resources like the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s FAQ page are constantly updated with the latest information.
The FAQ explains that the two coronavirus vaccines currently in use now have Emergency Use Authorizations from the FDA. It goes on: “These data demonstrate that the known and potential benefits of this vaccine outweigh the known and potential harms of becoming infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).”
That does not mean there are no side effects to keep in mind, of course. The CDC has a comprehensive list of possible side-effects, warning Americans not to be alarmed by them. Some doctors are even advising Americans to take a day off work after receiving the vaccine if they feel flu-like symptoms.
