Pence urges young conservatives to get COVID-19 vaccine | TheHill – The Hill

Former Vice President Mike PenceMichael (Mike) Richard PenceVirginia couple gets home detention in Jan. 6 case Officers' powerful Capitol riot testimony underscores Pelosi's partisan blunder RealClearPolitics reporter says Freedom Caucus shows how much GOP changed under Trump MORE on Wednesday urged young conservatives to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as the country grapples with rising case counts amid the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.

"Now let me say this about the vaccine: I got the shot. My family got the shot. And I want to encourage anyone here who hasnt gotten the shot whos eligible to go get it. And if youre not sure about it, go ask your doctor and get the very best advice you can," Pencetold the Young America's Foundation's National Conservative Student Conference.

The direct call from Pence to young Republicans to get vaccinated comes as younger Americans in particular have shown resistance to getting the shot. And it was a notable plea from a top-ranking Trump administration official as red states see their vaccination rates lag behind other parts of the country.

Pence, who led the White House coronavirus task force last year, boasted of the success of Operation Warp Speed, the initiative under the Trump administration that cut regulatory red tape to rapidly develop and test the COVID-19 vaccines last year before they received emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.

And the former vice president argued the vaccines should help prevent the U.S. from imposing economic restrictions like the ones that were common last year andwhile the virus raged during the winter.

"As we do our part, each and every one of us, to put this pandemic in the past, we need to also stand firm on the principle that we can defeat this virus without lockdowns and mandates," Pence said to applause. "We can protect the vulnerable and get our kids back to school. And we can keep America open withoutforfeiting our freedoms."

Pence received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on camera in December in an effort to instill public confidence in the shot. He was joined at the time by his wife and then-Surgeon General Jerome AdamsJerome AdamsIt's time we had 'safe havens' for vaccinated Americans The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - Crunch time for bipartisan plan; first Jan. 6 hearing today Trump surgeon general: 'Pandemic is spiraling out of control' MORE.

Former President TrumpDonald TrumpMajority of Americans in new poll say it would be bad for the country if Trump ran in 2024 ,800 bottle of whiskey given to Pompeo by Japan is missing Liz Cheney says her father is 'deeply troubled' about the state of the Republican Party MORE has scarcely used his massive platform to encourage his supporters to get vaccinated, despite privately getting the shot himself in January.

The U.S. is grappling with a spike in COVID-19 cases as the delta variant accounts for more than 90 percent of infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Biden administration officials have pleaded with Americans to get vaccinated against the virus, arguing it is the most effective and surest way to bring the pandemic to an end.

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Pence urges young conservatives to get COVID-19 vaccine | TheHill - The Hill