Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence will receive the Wuhan coronavirus vaccine publicly on Friday, the White House announced late Wednesday evening.
The goal of the televised event is "to promote the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and build confidence among the American people," the White House announcement stated. Pence is the chair of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and the highest-ranking member of the White House to receive the vaccine.
The Pences will be joined by Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who will also receive the coronavirus vaccine. The event will take place at the White House, although the time has yet to be determined.
The news comes after Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn signed an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer Wuhan coronavirus vaccine last Friday. The first shipments of the vaccine were loaded in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Sunday morning. The COVID vaccines made their way to all 50 states throughout the day on Monday and Tuesday.
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The vaccine was developed in a partnership between Pfizer and BioNTech and had an efficacy rate of 95 percent. Pfizer is currently working with the federal government to get 100 million doses distributed by March. Hahn on Saturday reassured Americans that Pfizer's Wuhan coronavirus vaccine "meets the FDA's rigorous standards for safety and effectiveness." Hahn said he plans to get the vaccine as soon as he can.
The distribution of the Pfizer vaccine is considered another success for Operation Warp Speed. Their goal was to research the virus, develop a vaccine, run successful trials, create millions of doses and adequately distribute the vaccine in record time.
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