Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recorded her experience getting the COVID-19 vaccine and shared it with her 8.2 million Instagram followers.
The freshman representative of parts of The Bronx and Queens on Friday night shared video of herself in the lead up to the shot — including filling out a questionnaire — the injection itself, as well as how she felt afterwards.
“I would would never, ever ask you to do something I wasn’t willing to do myself,” she wrote in the post.
The Democratic socialist also answered questions from followers, saying she was experiencing some minor symptoms after the inoculation.
“I have a little muscle soreness in my arm which is not unusual with any shot. The second thing that I’m feeling is fatigue — but also, it’s been a really long time since I had a break,” the rep said, alluding to the weekend’s marathon session on Capitol Hill.
Ocasio-Cortez also tried to explain in layman’s terms how the mRNA vaccine differs from a traditional inoculation — by teaching cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response, instead of injecting the patient with a weakened or inactivated strain of the virus.
“It’s kind of like the difference between if you had a burglar and then he broke into your house and you learn to to fight him versus if someone gave you a picture of the burglar… if you see that picture and you see that guy walking towards your house, you’re like ‘oh I know that guy, he’s a burglar,’” the 31-year-old said.
Ocasio-Cortez said she and other members of the House of Representatives were being “urged to take [the vaccine] as part of the government’s plan,” adding in her post that the measure was “in accordance with national security protocols.”
But the video didn’t go down well with all of her followers — with some questioning why politicians were getting the shot before many healthcare workers had received theirs.
“AOC, I love you, but I’m a nurse and I’m still waiting to get mine so what exactly qualifies politicians to get a vaccine before healthcare workers?” one follower commented.
“Why are you getting this before health care workers? I put breathing tubes in people’s airways for 13hrs a day,” griped another.
“This feels as self-serving as every other politician. It’s disappointing and a slap in the face to those of us who have showed up since March to care for others. National Security won’t be impacted by my shifts this week with COVID patients at an all time high in the hospital and no vaccine in sight.. but I’ll still providing anesthesia to very sick people and not seeing my family while politicians get prioritized over me and my coworkers. Enjoy your time off with your vaccine.. I’ll be standing in the n95 for 13+hrs a day.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s dog Deco also did not seem enthused by the video — it could be heard in the background loudly snoring throughout her explanations.
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