Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence received the COVID-19 vaccine Friday.
In remarks after his shot, Pence called the speed with which the vaccine was developed “a medical miracle.”
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“The American people can be confident: we have one and perhaps within hours two” safe vaccines,” Pence said, referring to expected FDA approval for Moderna’s vaccine. Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine was the first to be approved. “Building confidence in the vaccine is what brings us here this morning,” he added.
Pence’s wife Karen and Surgeon General Jerome Adams also received shots during the televised White House event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Adams, who is Black, emphasized the “the importance of representation” in outreach to at-risk communities and encouraged Americans to avoid disinformation around the vaccines.
Pence, the highest profile official yet to receive the vaccine, has taken an increasingly visible role in selling the vaccine, as President Donald Trump has taken a step back.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.