Washington, D.C.- Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced that he has received the COVID-19 vaccine:
“Our Nation now has a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19, which has already claimed the lives of more than 300,000 Americans. Dr. Brian P. Monahan, the Attending Physician for the United States Congress and Supreme Court, recently issued a recommendation that all members of Congress receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which arrived at the Capitol this week in order to ensure continuity of government. This morning, I received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. I will receive my second dose in approximately three weeks. I encourage all Americans, in consultation with their doctor, to get the vaccine when it becomes available to them. I will continue to press the Administration to work to ensure that all Americans can receive the vaccine in a timely manner and insist that vaccines be distributed in an equitable fashion, particularly at nursing homes where residents and workers face an acute threat from the virus.”
The Food and Drug Administration granted an Emergency Use Authorization to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on December 12, 2020. The Office of the Attending Physician was notified this week by the National Security Council that consistent with Presidential Policy Directive 40 (PPD-40) (2016), Congress and the Supreme Court, along with Executive Branch agencies, will be provided with a specific number of these COVID-19 vaccine doses to meet long-standing requirements for continuity of government operations. These requirements are focused on essential operations and personnel. PPD-40 establishes continuity requirements for the Federal Government and states that continuity actions for the Executive Branch should be undertaken in parallel with the Legislative and Judicial branches of government. The small number of COVID-19 vaccine doses being provided reflects a fraction of the first tranche of vaccines being distributed throughout the country.
