Martha Stewart has recieved her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
On Monday, the 79-year-old lifestyle mogul shared a video of herself getting the vaccine at the Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai in New York City, and assured fans that she did not skip the line, adding that she was in the "approved age group." Monday was the first day New York City started vaccinating people age 75 and older.
"I was vaccinated today in a designated vaccine pod near the Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai Downtown 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 captioned the video shared to Instagram.
"I am excited to have received my dosage and look forward to the booster. The doctors told me 10,000 applications were received by Mount Sinai right after the state released this batch of vaccines. Here's to the advancement of science and a heartfelt thanks to those working on the vaccines," Stewart wrote. "We are all hoping for an end to this pandemic. 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."
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In December 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved emergency use authorization for two COVID-19 vaccines, one from Pfizer and another from Moderna. Days later, vials were delivered to states and frontline healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities began receiving the first of the two doses required for each vaccine.
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In the weeks since, many states have started expanding their vaccine programs to senior citizens, teachers and essential workers like grocery store employees, per CDC recommendations.
Among those receiving the vaccine have been high-profile politicians. President-elect Joe Biden, 78, received his second dose on Monday, while Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, 56, received her first dose on Dec. 29. U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 31, and Nancy Pelosi, 80, as well as other members of Congress, received the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 18.
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Other celebrities and famous figures who have been vaccinated to-date include; Dynasty star Joan Collins, 87, Queen Elizabeth, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, legendary baseball hall-of-famer Hank Aaron, 86, anesthesiologist Dr. Joe Park (who appeared on the latest season of The Bachelorette), 36, and Sir Ian McKellen, 81.
As of Tuesday morning, at least 9.27 million doses have been administered in the United States, according to Bloomberg's vaccine tracker. Per that same count, only 379,862 people in the U.S. have completed their second dose.
Meanwhile, at least 2,048 new coronavirus deaths and 222,900 new cases were reported in the U.S. on Monday, according to a New York Times database. Since the start of the pandemic, more than 22,673,700 people in the country have been infected.
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