Washington, December 14: The first COVID-19 vaccine has been administered in the United States. US President Donald Trump on Monday took to Twitter to announce the news. In his tweet, Donald Trump congratulated the country on the achievement. The shipments of frozen vials of Pfizer-BionTech’s vaccine against coronavirus reached the US on Monday.

On Sunday, Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Robert Redfield signed the recommendation of a key CDC advisory group to use Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine. "Last night, I was proud to sign the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' recommendation to use Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in people 16 and older," reported Xinhua news agency quoting Redfield as saying. UK: 2 Workers Show Allergic Reactions After Receiving Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine, MHRA Issues Warning.

Tweet by Donald Trump:

Meanwhile, Trump said that White House staffers should not be among the first in the country. Taking to Twitter on Sunday, the President said: "People working in the White House should receive the vaccine somewhat later in the program, unless specifically necessary. I have asked that this adjustment be made.” 'William Shakespeare' 2nd to Get Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine in UK After 90-Year-Old 'Maggie'.

On December 11, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued authorization for emergency use of the COVID-19 vaccine of American drugmaker Pfizer in partnership with German company BioNTech. The US is the world’s worst-affected country due to COVID-19. According to Johns Hopkins University, the country's overall caseload and death toll stood 16,246,771 and 299,163, respectively.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 14, 2020 08:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).