Kamala Harris receives the third dose of the COVID vaccine

US Vice President Kamala Harris received her booster dose of Moderna’s COVID vaccine on Saturday, encouraging eligible people to do the same.

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“We’ve said it from the start: It’s safe and free,” she said of the vaccines before she was given a third shot by a member of the White House medical team.

“The vast majority, over 90% of people in intensive care or who die from COVID-19 are not vaccinated. So let’s get vaccinated and we will get out of this pandemic.”

The United States mourns more than 745,000 deaths from COVID-19.

Ms Harris, 57, received her first two injections in December 2020 and January 2021, according to the White House.

The US Presidency said it “meets the booster dose criteria” because it is considered a “person at risk of exposure to COVID-19 due to her duties” by traveling frequently and meeting many people.

The booster dose of Moderna vaccine is actually half the dose (50 mcg versus 100 for the first two injections).

US President Joe Biden, 78, received his third dose of the vaccine live on TV on September 27 to encourage eligible Americans to do the same.

Nearly 80% of adults in the United States have received at least one dose of the vaccine, about 70% have been fully immunized, and 9% have received a booster injection since they were vaccinated in September.