Pope Francis Receives COVID Vaccine
Pope Francis is on his way to medical safety.
Pope Francis is currently 84 years old. While he’s still pretty sprightly for such an old dude, he is, unfortunately, right in the strike zone of risk for COVID-19. Luckily, being such a prolific person carries its obvious benefits, one of which being prioritized access to good healthcare.
In a statement delivered today, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed that Pope Francis had received his first dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. As an added bonus, Pope Francis’ predecessor, the Pope Emeritus Benedict, had received a dose as well. Benedict, being 93 years old, is also at risk, and is also a priority recipient.
Bruni didn’t confirm when exactly the Pope and Pope Emeritus were vaccinated, merely saying that he was “able to confirm that within the vaccine program of the Vatican City State, to this date the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine has been administered to Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus.”
Of course, Vatican City only just started their vaccine distribution program yesterday, so it probably wasn’t that long ago. Pope Francis has been a regular proponent of vaccination over the past year, saying that everyone has an ethical duty to get themselves vaccinated as soon as possible.
“I believe that ethically everyone should take the vaccine. It is not an option, it is an ethical choice because you are gambling with your health, with your life, but you are also gambling with the lives of others,” he said during a television broadcast on Sunday.
In an interview with an Italian TV station, Pope Francis said he will receive the coronavirus vaccine this week and called it an “ethical duty” for everyone to get vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/aDcIKCSIMe
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 11, 2021
This statements echoes a previous one Pope Francis made around Christmas time. “I beg all those in charge of states, of companies, of international bodies … to promote cooperation and not competition and to seek a solution for everyone, vaccines for all, especially for the most vulnerable and needy in all regions of the globe,” the Pope said during the Vatican’s Urbi et Orbi message.
As with all other recipients of the Pfizer vaccine, Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict will be receiving a second dose three weeks after their initial one to complete their inoculations.