On Dec. 18, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez received her first dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, as Congress members became eligible for the shots under government continuity guidelines. The New York representative shared the simple vaccination process on her Instagram Stories Friday evening. “Just like wearing a mask, I’d never advise you to do something I wasn’t willing to do myself,” she wrote.
Ocasio-Cortez documented every step of the way, including filling out a screening questionnaire prior, getting the actual shot, hanging out in the waiting room, and receiving her vaccination record card. Three hours after getting vaccinated, Ocasio-Cortez said she felt “totally fine” and didn’t experience any side effects. (According to the FDA, minor side effects like fatigue, headaches, fever, and chills are expected.)
AOC joins politicians including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Vice President Mike Pence, who all received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Friday. The Congresswoman explained the COVID-19 vaccine had become available to lawmakers on Thursday night, and Congress members were urged to take the shot. “Basically there are national security policies on the books to ensure continuity of governance during national emergencies,” she explained. Ahead, check out how Ocasio-Cortez’s experience went.