Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday called getting his COVID-19 booster shot "an easy decision."
The Kentucky Republican, 79, said on the Senate floor that he had received his booster. The statement came hours after President Joe Biden announced that he had received his booster shot, wherein Biden touted the vaccines as "important" as well as "safe and effective."
"I'm glad to share that a few minutes ago, I received a booster vaccination for COVID-19," McConnell said, according to The Hill. "All throughout the pandemic, I have followed the best advice from experts and especially from my own health care providers. It was an easy decision to receive a booster."
McConnell's statement comes a week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced they had approved a third Pfizer-BioNTech dose for adults 65 and older.
In his speech on the Senate floor, McConnell labeled himself a "lifelong champion of vaccinations," alluding to the vaccinations he received for polio as a child.
"Mountains of evidence tell us these shots are safe, effective and dramatically shrink the odds of severe disease or death from COVID," McConnell said.
"Like I have been saying for months, these safe and effective vaccines are the way to defend ourselves and our families from this terrible virus," he added. "They're also how we stay on offense against COVID as a country. All Americans should speak with their doctors and get vaccinated."
Roughly 23% of adults have not received a dose of vaccine. In Kentucky, McConnell's state, 60.4% have had at least one dose of vaccine, which is below the national average.
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