Joe Biden Publicly Receives Second Dose of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine

Joe Biden has publicly received his second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, 21 days after receiving his initial shot, on Dec. 21. According to The Hill, while receiving the follow-up vaccination, the president-elect said, “My number one priority is getting vaccine into people’s arms, like I just did today, as rapidly as we can.” The outlet also noted that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends three weeks as the amount of time apart that the Pfizer shots should be administered.

In addition to the incoming U.S. President, Biden transition spokesperson Jen Psaki confirmed that vice president-elect Kamala Harris will also be getting the booster dose of the vaccine, and 35 other individuals who will be in close contact with the newly elected officials will also be getting vaccinated soon. Biden’s second vaccine shot comes less than two weeks before he is sworn-in as the new President of the United States. He has said that one of his goals within the first 100 days of his presidency is to have 100 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine administered to citizens. This strategy is very different from the current administration’s plan, which has been to withhold some doses to make sure there are enough for the booster.

In early December, Biden first spoke about getting the vaccine publicly, to help ease the concerns of Americans who might be skeptical of it. While speaking with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Biden was asked if he would get the shot on-camera, to which he replied, “I’d be happy to do that.” Biden then added, “When Dr. [Anthony] Fauci says we have a vaccine that is safe, that’s the moment in which I will stand before the public and say that.”

Biden went on to say, “People have lost faith in the vaccine’s ability to work. Already the numbers are staggeringly low, and it matters what a president and vice president do.” He then commented on former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton all stating that they would also get the vaccine publicly. “I think that my three predecessors have set the model as to what should be done,” he said, “saying ‘once it’s declared to be safe … then obviously, we take it.’”