From the Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin, Governor Abbott and Department of State Health Services Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt received the first dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine.
Abbott said he decided to go ahead and receive the vaccine on Tuesday after the urging of the CDC and the US Department of Health and Human Services on Monday. "Dr (Robert) Redfield, the director of the CDC, Secretary (Alex) Azar, the secretary of federal Health and Human Services and Dr. Hellerstedt (Texas DSHS Director) that have all said that it's very important for leaders like governors to step up and make sure that they show the public by getting a vaccine in front of a TV camera, to show that this is a very safe and very easy process," said Abbott.
The fact that Texans have not embraced the idea of taking a COVID vaccine was also motivation for the event, said Abbott. "There was a report that came out recently that showed that more than half of Texas were either unwilling or unsure about taking the vaccine, because maybe you have some concerns about it. And that's exactly why we are here today."
Dr. Hellerstedt stressed that while the vaccine is what will "put the pandemic behind us" the fight against to coronavirus is far from over. "What has got us here is a success of doing the kind of infection prevention and control measures that have worked so far," said Hellerstedt prior to being vaccinated. "So the physical and social distancing, the wearing of masks in, in public and all of those other things never forget. That is what made us successful. That got us to where we are today."
