Kamala Harris receives COVID-19 vaccine booster shot

WASHINGTON - Vice President Kamala Harris has received a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot.

The vice president rolled up a sleeve on Saturday and took a third shot of the Moderna vaccine. She’d previously achieved full vaccination after receiving her first dose on Dec. 29 and her second on Jan. 26.

"I got the booster shot and I want to encourage everyone to do the same when you are eligible," Harris said. "And as we have said from the beginning, the vaccines are free they are safe and they will save your life."

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U.S. regulators approved booster doses for people 65 or older and people with preexisting conditions. At 57, Harris fails to satisfy the age requirement.

But regulators also permit boosters for people who work jobs that increase their risk of exposure. The White House said Harris’ duties frequently require her to travel and interact with a wide range of people, making her eligible for the third jab.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris receives a booster shot of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (Photographer: Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

About two-thirds of Americans — nearly 221 million people — have received at least one shot, and nearly 17 million have gotten boosters.

Harris again stressed the dire need to get vaccinated, saying most COVID-19 patients being treated in ICUs are unvaccinated.

"We’ve all seen the videos of folks who are in an ICU bed who were not vaccinated — with tears begging people, including their family members, to get vaccinated," she said. "What we know, at this point in our country, is the vast majority — I’m told well over 90% —  of the people who are in an ICU or dying from COVID are unvaccinated."

This story was reported from Atlanta.