First Lady Jill Biden to visit COVID-19 vaccination site in Mississippi

by: Thao Ta, Kayla Thompson, The Associated Press, Kaitlin Howell

Posted: Jun 22, 2021 / 12:45 PM AST

Updated: Jun 23, 2021 / 10:47 AM AST

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JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – First Lady Dr. Jill Biden arrived in Jackson, Mississippi, on Tuesday to visit a COVID-19 vaccination site.

While in Jackson, the first lady toured the COVID-19 vaccination site at Jackson State University (JSU). The clinic is organized in partnership with the Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center.

The first lady encouraged everyone in the community to get vaccinated.

“Now, in a lot of ways, the vaccines feel like a miracle. They were rolled out in record time and work much better than we hoped. But still, and I’m sure a lot of you hear this, there’s a lot of misinformation out there,” she said.

The first lady continued, “The technology behind them really isn’t new at all. You know, scientists have been studying similar viruses and working on this type of vaccine for decades.”

Biden was joined by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba.

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden talking to those waiting to get their Covid shots at JSU. She’s asking Mississippians to call someone that hasn’t been vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/ySqRObXkWz
— Byron Brown (@ByronBrown12) June 22, 2021

“I’m here today to ask all of the people who can hear my voice, who can see my face, to get their shot. The vaccine is safe and it doesn’t hurt. I promise it doesn’t hurt,” said Biden.

Currently, Mississippi ranks last in the nation for its vaccination rate. Governor Tate Reeves (R-Miss.) announced last week that the state’s COVID-19 State of Emergency will end on August 15, 2021.

He released a statement about the first lady’s visit to Jackson.

Elee and I thank First Lady Jill Biden for visiting and trust that our friends at Jackson State will show her why Mississippi is known as the hospitality state.
We are proud of the fact that Mississippi was one of the very first states in America to offer all Mississippians access to a vaccine. To date, we have administered 1.99 million doses. We only have 90 of our fellow Mississippians hospitalized – down from 1,444 – and are reporting only 67 total new cases today – down 98% from a peak of over 3,000.
The Vaccines are safe and effective and are an important part of our path beyond Covid and we welcome the First Lady of the United States, or anyone else, to help spread that message and encourage more vaccinations.
Gov. Tate Reeves, R-Miss.

The push for people to get vaccinated is part of the Biden Administration’s nation-wide tour to reach those who have not been vaccinated yet.

According to the administration, more than 70 percent of Americans age 30 or older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. However, President Joe Biden is expected to fall short of reaching his goal of giving a shot to the same percentage of all American adults by Independence Day.

A White House official said it is now redoubling its focus on vaccinating younger Americans age 18-26, who have proved to be least likely to get a vaccine when it’s available for them.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.