Former President Barack Obama, with infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci in tow, made a surprise visit Tuesday to a D.C. coronavirus vaccine clinic for 5-to-11-year-olds, commending those who were getting the shot and encouraging others to follow suit.
The two spoke to children and parents at a vaccination clinic inside the gym at Kimball Elementary School, The Associated Press reported.
“Nobody really loves getting a shot,” Obama said, AP reported. “I don’t love getting a shot. But I do it because it’s going to help keep me healthy.”
Vaccinations for children between 5 and 11 years old began nationwide early last month after the Food and Drug Administration gave emergency-use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for that age group on Oct. 29 and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made a formal recommendation four days later.
More than 1 million adolescents in that age group have since gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the White House.