AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Saying "it's just that easy," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott received his first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Dell Seton Medical Center Tuesday afternoon.
Abbott was joined by Department of State Health Services Commissioner John Hellerstedt and other top health officials, in an event broadcast live on television across the state.
More than 220,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine were distributed across the state in the first week. By the end of this week, Abbott said, more than 800,000 doses will have been distributed across the state.
"We want to make sure that people in the State of Texas can have trust and confidence in this vaccine," Abbott said. "There was a report that came out recently, that showed more than half of Texans were either unwilling or unsure about taking the vaccine because of concerns about it. And that’s exactly why we’re here today. I want to show my fellow Texans that it's safe and easy to get the vaccine, and remember I’ll never ask fellow Texans to do something I’m not willing to do myself."
"The purpose for doing this," Hellerstedt said, "is to show you that we truly, truly trust that this is a safe and effective vaccine."