HOUSTON – Former professional boxer George Foreman is no stranger to taking shots and while he wasn’t in the ring Thursday, he did sit down in a chair to get his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“The scariest shot I ever took was in Africa in 1974, Muhammad Ali threw a straight right hand and that shot got me, ever since then I’ve been able to deal with all the shots,” said Foreman, as he sat waiting for his shot.
He’s one of 50 people that have been in the UT Physicians locations off Victory Road since Monday.
UT Physicians are ramping up the distribution of these vaccines to those who are at risk and who have seen a UT Physicians primary or specialty care doctor in the last 18 months, by invite, which is based on the number of available doses and of course keeping the vaccines stored at a proper temperature.
However, some people have been reluctant to get the vaccine.
Jeffeea Gullett, an internal medicine and pediatric physician, says, “We have had an outpouring from the community I think just because of the clinic is here and they do trust us, where they are actually more willing to get the vaccine because there are people here that look like them in the community.”
The clinic hopes to have 100 people vaccinated by Monday, with many more in the future.
Foreman wants everyone to know that for him, getting the vaccine was an easy decision.
“I remember as a little boy when the astronauts were orbiting the earth and I asked people, pretty incredible people what did they think about that and they said, ‘George, don’t believe that, nobody can go around the world, part of the world is fire’ and I almost believe them, so with this shot and me taking it to make sure that no one comes in with any superstition, this shot is real just like they really walked on the moon, there is really a COVID vaccine now,” Foreman said.