Scalise gets vaccinated after holding out, calls shot “safe and effective”
July 19, 2021- 1:33 p.m.
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise got his first dose of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine Sunday, calling it “safe and effective,” Nola reports.
Scalise said that his decision to get vaccinated was driven by the spread of the Delta variant, which he noted was “aggressive” as well as a recent spike in case numbers.
Scalise had waited to get vaccinated because he had earlier tested positive for anti-bodies and believed he subsequently had a degree of immunity, Nola reports.
A number of public opinion polls have shown Republicans have been among the most vaccine-hesitant group in the country, and some have urged public officials to more publicly encourage constituents to get inoculated.
What they’re saying: “It’s safe and effective,” Scalise said of the vaccine, per Nola.
“It was heavily tested on thousands of people before the FDA gave its approval. Some people believe that it might have been rushed. That’s not the case.”
“Especially with the delta variant becoming a lot more aggressive and seeing another spike, it was a good time to do it,” he said.
