Charles Teves
Vaccination programs all around the globe have already commenced in an effort to prevent the further spreading of SARS-CoV-2 which has taken the lives of over 2 million people worldwide.
Even with the incredible amount of skepticism surrounding the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines produced by various firms, people still gave in and got inoculated against the deadly disease.
To also clear any questions about the vaccines and to encourage people to take them, a number of world leaders went on national television and got vaccinated themselves.
Last December 22, 2020, now US President Joe Biden took a dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine. The 78-year old, who has spent nearly 50 years in politics with virtually zero accomplishments, took the vaccines live on television and encouraged Americans to do the same.
My number one priority is getting people vaccinated as quickly as we can to get our country back on track. pic.twitter.com/JLY1DntIlR
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 12, 2021
US Vice President Kamala Harris followed Biden shortly after and took a Moderna dose herself. Her vaccination raised questions on whether or not she really took a real vaccine because the entire process looked staged and fake.
On the frontlines of this fight are nurses like Patricia who administered my vaccine yesterday. As the daughter of immigrants from Guyana, Patricia has been working tirelessly to protect and save lives.
To Patricia and all the nurses battling this pandemic—thank you. pic.twitter.com/xFmCWI3jRs
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) December 30, 2020
Harris’ predecessor former US Vice President Mike Pence took Pfizer and BioNTech doses on December 18 as well.
“I didn’t feel a thing. Well done,” Pence said.
NEW: U.S. Vice President Mike Pence was vaccinated against COVID-19 moments ago in Washington, D.C.
He received the Pfizer/BioNTech dose on live television, along with his wife, Karen, and U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams. https://t.co/cKpdAeIOQu pic.twitter.com/5fRgSMahU0
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) December 18, 2020
Buckingham Palace meanwhile reported that Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip got inoculated with unnamed vaccines at Windsor Castle.
Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI were also vaccinated against COVID-19 as per the Vatican News.
“I can confirm that as part of the vaccination program of the Vatican City State, as of today, the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine has been administered to Pope Francis and to the Pope Emeritus,” Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, told the reporters.
Last Christmas, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman got vaccinated according to a Reuters report.
The Prime minister and vice president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum went on social media last November to show people he received a dose of China’s Sinopharm vaccine.
The New York Times reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the first Israeli to receive a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine which was on January 10.
“I asked to be vaccinated first, together with Health Minister Yuli Edelstein, to serve as personal examples and encourage you to be vaccinated,” he said on live TV.
Similarly, Indonesian President Joko Widodo was the first Indonesian to take a COVID-19 vaccine.
“I don’t feel it at all,” he said.
“This vaccination is important to break the chain of coronavirus infections and to give health protection to all of us, and safety and security for all Indonesians,” he added.
On January 8, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, 68, was vaccinated for the first time also. Singapore was the first recipient of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Asia,
“It will make us safer, and it will make you and your loved ones safer too, so please take it when you can,” he said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey showed his people on January 14 that he has no problem getting administered a vaccine by China’s Sinovac.
“The number of vaccines in the first stage is clear. Now, another 25-30 million doses will come in the period ahead. We want to continue this rapidly,” he told the reporters.
President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines meanwhile will be taking the Queen Elizabeth II route which is to get vaccinated in private.
Malacañang on Thursday said it was Duterte’s “personal decision” to do as such so no explanation is required.
“That’s his personal decision. I don’t think he has to explain,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online briefing.
In August last year, Duterte told the public that he’d be willing to be the first in the country to receive a COVID-19 vaccine jab just so people would be more encouraged to also get protection.
However, more than half of the population is fine with not being vaccinated.
