On Friday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posted on her Instagram story that she was going to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and she took her followers through her experience.
"Hey everyone! So
we found out last night that the COVID vaccine was available to members of Congress as part of the 'continuity of governance' plan (basically a national security measure)," she wrote, to kick off her story.
She shared the info that she and her other members of Congress received. She also made a not-so-subtle point about the irony of her Republican colleagues' healthcare benefits:
"Just like wearing a mask, I'd never advise you to do something I wasn't willing to do myself," she wrote. "So I'm heading to my vaccination appt now, and here to answer your questions!" She opened her story up for questions.
Anyone who receives the vaccine has to fill out a questionnaire like this one, AOC said:
She posted a photo of herself getting the actual shot:
"After you get the shot, they seat us in a room...for 15 minutes just to make sure we're good. (Sometimes people get headaches or dizziness in general or seeing blood, etc, so it's just a precaution. No problems today!)
And a photo of the vaccine card that the nurse gave her after she received it. This card helps the people who administer it keep track of the date you got your first dose, so that you can come in for your second later:
When someone asked why the COVID-19 vaccine has two doses, AOC explained that some vaccines require two shots so that you can build up immunity to the virus.
She also shared the side vaccine side effects for those who are worried:
If you've got questions about the vaccine, AOC seems to be a good person to ask.