Coronavirus: Top US scientist Anthony Fauci gets Moderna vaccine
- The widely respected doctor said he was taking the shot ‘as a symbol to the rest of the country’ about his confidence in its safety and efficacy
- A new poll shows Americans’ willingness to take a coronavirus vaccine as soon as they can has jumped to 46 per cent – up from 26 per cent in October
Anthony Fauci, the United States’ top infectious disease specialist, received his Covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday along with other senior officials and six health workers at a live streamed event at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The widely respected scientist rolled up his left shirt sleeve, and said he was taking the shot “as a symbol to the rest of the country that I feel extreme confidence in the safety and the efficacy of this vaccine.
“I want to encourage everyone who has the opportunity to get vaccinated so that we could have a veil of protection over this country, that would end this pandemic,” he added.
He then gave a thumbs-up sign and clapped for his colleagues as he left the stage of an auditorium at the NIH’s headquarters in Bethesda, a Washington suburb.
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The 79-year-old, who continues to practice as a doctor, was among the first Americans to receive injections developed by Moderna and the NIH’s National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which he has led since 1984.
NIH director Francis Collins and health secretary Alex Azar also received their vaccinations at the ceremony.