Experts are hopeful that the coronavirus vaccine will help to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has killed more than 2 million people worldwide since its 2019 emergence in China.
Steve Martin, Martha Stewart and both President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris were among the first high-profile names to get the shots.
The Father of the Bride actor made jokes about the process after getting vaccinated in January 2021. “Good news/Bad news,” Martin tweeted on January 17. “Good news: I just got vaccinated! Bad news: I got it because I’m 75. Ha!”
The comedian noted that it was “smooth as silk” when getting the shot in New York City. He later made light of possible side effects, tweeting, “Right now, I’m having no fide resects.”
Stewart, for her part, shared a video of herself preparing to get her shot at Mount Sinai Downtown in New York, via Instagram on January 11.
“I am so proud of and grateful to the doctors, nurses and medical staff who are wading through the red tape and confusion of the distribution of these very important vaccines,” she wrote at the time. “I am excited to have received my dosage and look forward to the booster.”
The lifestyle guru clapped back at haters who claimed she cut in front of others, writing, “To allay your concerns that I jumped the line, know that I am in the approved age group for this batch of vaccines and I waited in line with others.”
Stewart, who is 79, added: “Here’s to the advancement of science and a heartfelt thanks to those working on the vaccines. We are all hoping for an end to this pandemic.”
Biden and Harris had the press in attendance when they received their shots, which they both got before taking office on January 20.
“I’m doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared, when it’s available, to take the vaccine,” Biden told reporters in December 2020. “There’s nothing to worry about. I’m looking forward to the second shot.”
Ian McKellen and Joan Collins were among the first celebrities to document their vaccine journey in the U.K. Collins received her dose on the same day as Queen Elizabeth II, writing on Instagram that she was “honored” to get the shot.
Scroll down to see which stars have spoken about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.