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Mike Pence receives Covid-19 vaccine in public, Internet says 'he doesn't deserve to get it'

'History will record that this week is the beginning of the end of the coronavirus pandemic'

Mike Pence became the highest-ranking US official to take the coronavirus vaccine on Friday, December 18, as he received his first dose flanked by his wife Karen and Surgeon General Jerome Adams at Walter Reed Medical Center. "I didn't feel a thing. Well done. We appreciate your service to the country," the vice president said shortly after he rolled up his left sleeve and received the injection, The Sun reported.

Pence, who is spearheading the White House coronavirus taskforce, declared that "history will record that this week is the beginning of the end of the coronavirus pandemic." He thanked top-tier members of the task force, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Deborah Birx, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield, the team at FEMA, and Dr. Ben Carson, an acclaimed neurosurgeon who is in charge of Housing and Urban Development.  

As the vice president took the vaccine, large signs behind him read "Safe and Effective" and "Operation Warp Speed" — the Trump administration program that fast-tracked funding and approval of a vaccine. Pence added in his remarks that "hope is on the way" and noted how regular vaccine developments took anywhere between eight and 12 years — but the US already had two coronavirus vaccines and "millions of doses in less than one year."

"Make no mistake about it, it's a medical miracle," Pence concluded. "It's a miracle indeed." Trump supporters lauded the vice president's "leadership" in terms of instilling faith in the vaccine. "Mike Pence announces he’s getting the vaccine LIVE on TV this Friday and sure enough here comes Copycat Joe a week later! Makes you wonder who’s really leadership material here," Republican leader Dean Browning wrote, referring to Joe Biden's announcement that he would take the vaccine publicly as well.

Critics of the current administration, however, lashed out at Pence for his apparent hypocrisy. "It’s odd that Mike Pence cast doubt on science for 8 months and now is getting a vaccine on TV," one user tweeted. "During the entire Coronavirus pandemic, Mike Pence lied about the severity of it, attended mass super spreader hate rallies, covered up data & hid death stats. Now the lying bigoted science-denying bible thumping lunatic will jump to the front of the line to get a vaccine on tv," another added.

"For a Christian, you lie a lot! The vaccine was developed in Germany with US $0. The company was NEVER a part of Operation Warp Speed and the reason (according to them) delivery was so fast is because they have been working on coronaviruses for almost 10 years." a third alleged.

Some others saluted Pence for taking the vaccine in public, and instead questioned his boss's leadership. "On the one hand, I salute @VP for taking the vaccine in public to show support. But on the other hand, he doesn’t deserve to get it as part of an administration that lied to the people and belittled the severity of this pandemic. #vaccine," one wrote. "Of course @realDonaldTrump sends out his puppet #MikePence for the vaccine! You won’t see him get it!" another chimed in.