Joe Biden receives COVID-19 vaccine as US tops 18 mn cases

Washington DC: US President-elect Joe Biden on Monday publicly received the COVID-19 vaccine and said he was doing this to demonstrate that people should be ready to take the vaccine when it is available.

Biden received the first course of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at ChristianaCare Hospital.

"I am doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared when it's available to take the vaccine. There's nothing to worry about," he said.

Tabe Masa, Nurse Practitioner and Head of Employee Health Services at ChristianaCare Hospital, administered the vaccine. Dr Jill Biden, having already received the first course of the vaccine earlier in the day, was also present on the occasion.

"Today, I received the COVID-19 vaccine. To the scientists and researchers who worked tirelessly to make this possible thank you. We owe you an awful lot," Biden said in a tweet.

"And to the American people know there is nothing to worry about. When the vaccine is available, I urge you to take it," he said.

"This is what leadership looks like," Vice President-elect Kamala Harris said in a tweet. She will publicly receive the vaccine next week.

Biden took the dose as the United States surpassed 18 million cases, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.

Earlier, Congress passed a USD 900 billion pandemic relief package that would finally deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and resources to vaccinate a nation confronting a frightening surge in COVID-19 cases and

deaths.

Lawmakers tacked on a USD 1.4 trillion catchall spending bill and thousands of pages of other end-of-session business in a massive bundle of bipartisan legislation as Capitol Hill prepared to close the books on the year.

The bill approved Monday night went to President Donald Trump for his signature, which was expected in the coming days.

The relief package, unveiled Monday afternoon, sped through the House and Senate in a matter of hours.

The Senate cleared the massive package by a 92-6 vote after the House approved the COVID-19 package by another lopsided vote, 359-53.