Washington – United States Vice-President Mike Pence has received the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine live on TV, telling the audience and doctors: “I didn’t feel a thing”.
The White House said the aim of the move was to “promote the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and build confidence among the American people”.
Pence’s wife and Surgeon General Jerome Adams also received the jab at the televised White House event.
On Monday the US began rolling out the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
The first vaccine to be approved in the US, it offers up to 95 per cent protection against Covid-19.
The first three million doses are being distributed to locations across the 50 US states.
Meanwhile, a second vaccine, developed by Moderna, has come a step closer to receiving emergency approval after it was endorsed by a panel of experts.
As Pence was receiving his jab, Trump incorrectly said on Twitter that the Moderna vaccine was “overwhelmingly approved” with “distribution to start immediately”. It is still awaiting final approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
More than 310 000 people have died with coronavirus in the US, which has recorded more infections and fatalities than any other country. More than 17 million cases have been recorded in the country since the start of the pandemic. (BBC)
