The US Surgeon General met with state and local officials Tuesday and discussed the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
Surgeon General Jerome Adams talked to the press after the meeting and was asked about the new variant of COVID that’s popped up in the United Kingdom. He says there’s no indication it will be resistant to vaccines.
“I also want people to understand that there may be a day when we do have a variant that doesn’t respond to these vaccines. That’s okay too. That’s what happens with seasonal flu. Every year we adjust the vaccine. We know how to do this. If we have to, we’re watching, we’ll adjust it and we’ll continue to vaccinate people.”
Adams urges everyone to get the vaccine when it’s more widely available. He says like the annual flu shot, the COVID vaccine may cause soreness at the injection site and headaches.
More than 63,000 front-line health care workers in Illinois have received the shot so far. The Governor’s office expects another 234,450 vaccine doses this week.
Adams is also encouraging people to continue social distancing measures during the holidays and not to celebrate with those outside their households.
