News

US Congress members are getting Covid vaccine before almost anyone else and people are divided

US Congress members are getting Covid vaccine before almost anyone else and people are divided

Politicians are among the first people in the US to receive the vaccine and some people aren’t too happy about it.

Vice President Mike Pence was given the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine live on TV in an effort to convince the public to get inoculated.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also shared they had been vaccinated.

Although they have been praised for trying to convince skeptics of the safety of the jab, others believe they have effectively skipped the queue.

Public outrage was especially directed to those that had spent much of the pandemic downplaying the coronavirus and spreading misinformation.

Others were angry that Senator Marco Rubio was being vaccinated ahead of frontline workers.

However, there are some supporters of politicians being publicly vaccinated. Academic Brian Klaas argued: “A lot of Americans will needlessly die if the vaccine isn't championed by Republicans and Democrats alike.”

In an Instagram Live, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez explained the Covid vaccine was made available to members of Congress as part of the 'continuity of governance' plan, a national security measure.

MORE: What will happen if Trump has to physically vacate White House

The Conversation (0)