Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-7th MA) received her first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday, which came as a surprise to her.
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley
“Candidly, I did not expect I would be able to receive the vaccine this soon. I planned to receive the vaccine at a Community Health Center in my district later in 2021," said Pressley via press release. "Members of Congress received notice at the end of this week from the Attending Physician that doses would be made available to us as part of a ‘continuity of government plan,’ a measure put in place during national crises. After consulting with my family and my doctor, I decided that I would move forward with this opportunity to receive the vaccine."
Pressley said she's feeling well, and encouraged everyone to take the first opportunity available to receive the vaccine in the coming weeks and months.
"I am grateful to the scientists, researchers, and frontline healthcare workers who have worked tirelessly over the last several months to develop a vaccine that is safe and effective,” said Pressley.
She also spoke about equity within the country's healthcare system.
“As someone who has experienced how broken our healthcare system is firsthand, throughout this crisis I have been deeply concerned about equity issues in access to care, treatment and prevention. Healthcare justice is not a reality in America," said Pressley. "The inequities we see in our healthcare system are stark, and the research and medical community have deeply violated the trust of Black and brown people in America throughout our nation’s history. It is up to our research and medical institutions, our elected officials, and our collective public health response to make amends and earn the trust of communities of color as we distribute this vaccine and rebuild."