While both of Vermont’s senators received the Covid-19 vaccine on Capitol Hill during the weekend, other state leaders may wait to be vaccinated until the most at-risk Vermonters get their doses.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine from U.S. Capitol physician Brian P. Monahan on Saturday.
“Following the advice of the Office of the Attending Physician, today I received the safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine,” Sanders said in a statement. “As the vaccine is being distributed, we must all continue wearing masks and engage in social distancing. That is how we will beat this virus and end this terrible pandemic.”
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., also received the vaccine Saturday. Rep. Peter Welch, however, has been working from home in Norwich this week, and has not yet received the vaccine — though he plans to as soon as possible. Many other House members have already been vaccinated.
“He plans to receive the vaccine when he returns to Washington in early January for the start of the new Congress,” said Welch spokesperson Lincoln Peek.
However, not all officials share the same approach to the vaccine. On Tuesday last week, Gov. Phil Scott said he’s reluctant to get the vaccine early because he doesn’t want to divert any doses going to high-risk Vermonters and front-line health care workers.
“I am more than willing to have the vaccination. As soon as Dr. Fauci, Dr. Levine, and others said it was safe, I was all in,” Scott said. “But, you know, I struggle a bit because I would not want to take one dose away from someone in one of those priority groups. Those in long-term care facilities should come first, and the staff along with them, and obviously the health care workers should be in that mix, which they are.”
Rebecca Kelley, Scott’s spokesperson, said the governor plans to wait for “his natural place in the rollout timeline.” Kelley said Levine plans a similar approach, and will get vaccinated when he fits into the appropriate priority group.
Other governors have made the same decision. Maryland’s governor, Larry Hogan, has said he won’t take the vaccine until after his state’s health care workers and nursing home residents have had the opportunity.
Meanwhile, in Burlington, Mayor Miro Weinberger is quarantining after a potential exposure to the virus. One of Weinberger’s daughters is considered a close contact of a confirmed positive individual from her school community.“Mayor Weinberger himself is not under a quarantine order per state rules, and he believes it is very unlikely that he has been exposed to the virus, but he and his family members are following quarantine guidance currently out of an abundance of caution,” said the mayor’s spokesperson, Olivia LaVecchia.
— Ellie French
