Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi get Covid vaccine

Congressional leadership received the vaccine as part of national security measures to maintain continuity of government

The Covid-19 vaccine has received bipartisan support in Congress, with Senate leader Mitch McConnell and House speaker Nancy Pelosi both receiving their first dose.

The Republican and Democratic leadership announced on Twitter that they received their jabs, which prioritised members of Congress as part of continuity of government measures.

Mr McConnell, a 78-year-old survivor of polio, and Ms Pelosi, 80, took the vaccines while they continued with Covid-19 relief talks.

“Vaccines are how we beat this virus,” Mr McConnell said. “Now back to continue fighting for a rescue package including a lot more money for distribution so more Americans can receive it as fast as possible.”

Ms Pelosi said she has confidence in the vaccine and took the dose at the direction of the Office of Attending Physician.

The Capitol's attending physician, Brian P Monahan, wrote a letter urging lawmakers and their essential support staff to take the vaccine under a national security plan rolling out over the next few days.

“As the vaccine is being distributed, we must all continue mask wearing, social distancing and other science-based steps to save lives and crush the virus,” the house speaker said.

Senior officials of all three branches of government and the Supreme Court are at the top of the line of recommended vaccine recipients under the 2016 National Continuity Policy, according to a statement from National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot.

He said they are receiving the same safe and effective vaccine as senior officials of the United States government, on the advice of public health professionals and national security leadership.

Vice president Mike Pence took the vaccine in a live broadcast earlier on Friday.

Vaccine doses will be available for all 535 members of Congress and nine Supreme Court Justices under the continuity of government plan, with Dr Monahan writing that lawmakers had no reason to refuse the jab.

The vaccine to be administered to members of Congress, who are considered to be essential workers, will be the first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration from Pfizer/BioNTech, 100 million doses of which were purchased under Operation Warp Speed.

Mr Monahan said the small number of vaccine doses provided to his office reflected a fraction of the first tranche of vaccines distributed throughout the country.

“Once we have completed the vaccination of the members, we will follow a process to identify the continuity-essential staff members in the various divisions of the Capitol community in the coming weeks,” Mr Monahan wrote.  

“The appointing process will then continue until the small vaccine supply is exhausted. A second dose scheduling process will then begin later.”