Congress is at the front of the line for COVID vaccines. Which Californians are taking it?
Federal lawmakers are part of the first group of people — alongside frontline health care workers — to get access to the COVID-19 vaccine. But they’re not all taking it.
Many have taken their first does, but others are choosing to wait, saying they don’t want to receive it before seniors who are more likely to die from the novel coronavirus.
The main groups who have access to the vaccine are health care workers, seniors in nursing homes and certain public officials, including members of Congress, President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Supreme Court justices and executive branch office holders.
Brian Monahan, the attending physician for Congress, recommended to all members that they take the vaccine in order to continue government operations. Monahan also offered to all members of Congress two staff members from their personal offices could receive vaccines. Committee chairs and party leaders can designate four staff members to receive vaccines.
“There is a limited supply of the vaccine available to House staff whose job duties: (1) involve continuity of operations status; (2) require onsite presence necessary to support House operations; and/or (3) can reasonably be expected to involve in-person interactions as part of their job duties,” Monahan wrote on Dec. 28.
This is where key members of the California delegation and high-ranking Californians in Biden’s administration stand on their vaccination status.
Kamala Harris
Vice President-elect Harris, 56, and her husband, Doug Emhoff, 56, received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 29.
Harris’ office did not respond to a request for comment on how many members of her staff would received the vaccine.
Xavier Becerra
President-elect Biden nominated California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, 62, to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Becerra has to be confirmed by the Senate before he can move into the job officially.
Becerra’s office did not respond to questions on whether he has received the COVID-19 vaccine.
Dianne Feinstein
Sen. Dianne Feinstein is the oldest Californian on the list at 87. She has received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, spokesman Adam Russell told McClatchy.
Russell did not answer a question on whether members of her staff were slated to receive the vaccine as well.
Alex Padilla
Gov. Gavin Newsom selected California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to replace Harris as a California senator. Padilla, 47, has not been sworn in to the Senate yet, and therefore is not yet eligible to receive the vaccine. But he plans to take it, his spokesman David Beltran said in a statement to McClatchy.
“The vaccine has not been made available to Sen.-Designate Padilla yet. He will follow the guidance of Senate physicians on when it is appropriate for him to receive the vaccine,” Beltran said. “With Latinos making up nearly 60% of COVID cases and just short of 50% of deaths in California, he will use his vaccination to raise awareness and dispel fears of the vaccine in the Latino community.”
Beltran said Padilla would also get two staff members vaccinated “for the safety of his staff and to ensure the office can support the critical constituent services and legislative work needed to help Americans through the pandemic.”
Padilla’s swearing in date has not been set yet.
Nancy Pelosi
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 18.
The office of Pelosi, 80, did not respond to questions about whether her staff would also receive the vaccine.
Kevin McCarthy
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, 55, received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 18.
He tweeted about receiving it on Dec. 20, saying, “Democrats and the media scoffed when (President Donald Trump) said we’d have a safe and effective vaccine this year, but he kept his promise!”
His office did not respond to a question on whether members of his staff would also receive the vaccine.
John Garamendi
The office of Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, 75, did not respond to questions about he nor his staff receiving vaccines.
He has tweeted about vaccine shipments arriving in California, but not about whether he has received a vaccine personally or not.
Tom McClintock
Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, 64, said he would not receive the vaccine until people over the age of 65 or with relevant pre-existing conditions could get the vaccine.
“I feel the same as (Democrat Rep.) Tulsi Gabbard — I’m not getting the vaccine until my 90-year-old mother — and every other person in the country over 65 or with co-morbidities — can have access to it,” McClintock said in a statement to McClatchy.
Mike Thompson
Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, 69, received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 19, and is scheduled to receive his second dose, his office confirmed.
He also plans to get two members of his staff vaccinated according to the attending physician’s recommendations, spokesman Alex Macfarlane told McClatchy.
Doris Matsui
Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, 76, has received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and is on track to get the second dose, spokesman George Hatamiya said.
He did not respond to a question on whether any members of Matsui’s staff would receive the vaccine.
Ami Bera
Rep. Ami Bera, D-Elk Grove, 55, received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, spokesman Travis Horne confirmed.
Horne did not respond to a question about whether staff members would receive the vaccine as well.
Josh Harder
Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock, 34, has received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, spokesman Ian Lee said.
His office is still considering how to handle staff vaccinations, Lee said.
Jim Costa
Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, 68, plans to get the vaccine this week, spokeswoman Tammy Johnson said.
“At the guidance of the Attending Physician to account for continuity of Government and to set a good example to the public who might be questioning the safety of the vaccine, Jim does plan to get vaccinated when he is back in Washington next week,” Johnson said Thursday.
Johnson said Costa’s staff have been working from home effectively and plan to continue teleworking, so they don’t feel a need to get the vaccine at this time.
“We don’t believe there is justification for any of us to receive a vaccine over others who are much more in need of protection,” Johnson said.
David Valadao
Newly elected Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Friday. Valadao, 43, said in a tweet he would take a more accurate test to ensure it wasn’t a false positive, and he has not received those second test results yet.
Valadao said he has not received the vaccine yet and plans to wait.
“I don’t want to put myself at the front of the line to receive the vaccine when there are others that need it first, and now that I’ve tested positive, I want to have a conversation with the Attending Physician of the Capitol to learn more about what that means in terms of receiving the vaccine,” Valadao said in a statement to McClatchy.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that people ensure they have fully recovered from COVID-19 before getting vaccinated. People who have antibodies from having the disease previously should still get vaccinated, the CDC says.
Valadao’s office declined to comment on the record about whether staff members would receive the vaccine.
Devin Nunes
Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, 47, did not respond to requests for comment on his vaccination status. He said publicly in early December that he tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, meaning he likely had the novel coronavirus previously.
Nunes, as the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, would be eligible for four of his staff members to receive the vaccine. His office also did not respond to questions about staff vaccinations.
This story was originally published January 5, 2021 at 5:25 AM with the headline "Congress is at the front of the line for COVID vaccines. Which Californians are taking it?."
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