Jill Biden on Wednesday appealed to Arizona residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19, aiming to counter skepticism by declaring that the vaccines are safe and have been vigorously tested.
“I’m here to ask all the viewers on these TV stations to please make the choice to get vaccinated because it’s safe,” she said in a speech before an invited audience and TV cameras after touring a vaccine clinic at Isaac Middle School in Phoenix.
Just 40% of eligible Arizonans have been fully vaccinated.
Biden was accompanied by Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden noted that they “usually divide and conquer” by making separate visits to clinics, but said, “Today our message is so important that we wanted to come to Phoenix together.”
She said that Phoenix is the administration’s last stop on a month-long tour to promote vaccinations, but that efforts to promote inoculations will continue.
“It’s going to keep going and going until we win,” Emhoff added.
Emhoff appealed to the parents in the room, saying he sleeps better knowing that his son and daughter have both been vaccinated.
“I want every other parent to feel the way that I feel,” he said.
Outside the school, some people protested the visit, holding signs that said, “You are not welcome,” and waving pro-Donald Trump flags.
Cindy McCain, the widow of Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, sat in the front row of the socially distanced audience of about 100 people, including tribal leaders. President Joe Biden recently nominated her to be the U.S. representative to the U.N. Agencies for Food and Agriculture.
Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
