Surgeon General: Immigration status should not be a barrier to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine

General Surgeon Jerome AdamsJerome Adams shows on Sunday: COVID-19 relief and cyberattack dominate the surgeon general: immigration status should not be a barrier to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Congress closes on MORE stimulus agreement encouraged undocumented immigrants from across the United States to be vaccinated against COVID-19 when shots are available, saying during an interview Sunday that it is a public health priority to see as many vaccinated people as possible.

Speaking to CBS’s “Face the Nation,” the nation’s chief physician said a person’s immigration status should not serve as a barrier between them and a COVID-19 vaccine.

“No one should be denied a shot in the arm because of their documentation status,” Adams said.

He went on to point out that federal officials had assured him that the medical information collected during the administration of a COVID-19 vaccine “will not be used in any way or form to harm you legally” and that it could not be used in immigration proceedings against those involved.

His remarks seem to coincide with the view shared by the president-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenTrump signs bill extending government funding for 24 hours What’s in the $ 0 billion coronavirus relief bill that Congress will pass., which said in August that undocumented immigrants should have free access to both the vaccine and COVID-19 testing.

“All people in the country, whether documented or undocumented, should have access to a vaccine, if it occurs and when it does occur, they should have access to testing and treatment and hospitalization if it is related to the virus,” he said. to tell reporters in time, adding, “And that should happen, period. Everyone should take care of everyone’s interest and everyone should be able to be eligible for it.”

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have urged states to vaccinate first-line health workers and people in high-risk categories first; the general population of the United States is expected to have widespread access to the vaccine in the spring.