US Vice President Mike Pence received the coronavirus vaccine on Friday morning — an on-camera event that the Trump administration says is part of federal efforts to build confidence among the public in the vaccine's safety and efficacy. Along with the vice president, the second lady Karen Pence and Surgeon General Jerome Adams were administered the vaccine, which has received emergency use authorization and is being rolled out nationwide. All of them were reminded that they need to return for a second shot in three weeks and were also warned they could have a sore arm. "I didn't feel a thing. Well done, and we appreciate your service to the country," Pence said in remarks after being administered the vaccine. "The American people can be confident: we have one, and perhaps within hours, two, safe coronavirus vaccines for you and your family," he later added. "All of us have a role to play. The way through this challenging time is vigilance and a vaccine," he said, calling on Americans to "continue to do your part" with mitigation strategies. White House coronavirus task force members Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Robert Redfield were seated in the first row to watch Walter Reed National Medical Center staff administer the vaccine. President Donald Trump did not attend the ceremony, which took place on the White House complex. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will also receive the vaccine in a public setting, transition officials said. Biden is likely to be vaccinated next week, while the timing for Harris' vaccination is still undecided. Trump will not be administered a coronavirus vaccine until it's recommended by the White House medical team, a White House official said earlier this week. The President is still receiving the benefits of the monoclonal antibody cocktail he was given during his recovery from Covid-19 in October, the official said, and once he moves into a timing window to receive the vaccination, he is likely to get his shot at that point. — Courtesy CNN
