U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams is urging LeBron James to consider taking the COVID-19 vaccine. On Monday, Dec. 21, Adams made an appearance on KTLA 5 Morning News where he shared a message directed toward the NBA star.
“LeBron James, I know you’ve been a big supporter of masks. I want to know when you’re going to take the shot,” Adams said. “Not the basketball shot, but the COVID shot. Because I did it because I know it’s safe, and we want to make sure people understand this is how we end the pandemic.”
Adams revealed he stopped in Ohio over the weekend where he claimed many of James’ fans asked when the NBA star would be taking the vaccine. He believes if public figures like James embrace the vaccine, others will likely follow suit.
“I think that’s how we promote confidence, and we want people to lead by example,” the surgeon general said.
Adams’ remarks come just one week after Pfizer began distribution of the vaccine. Now, Moderna has also received approval to begin rolling out its vaccine.
As of Tuesday, Dec. 22, the United States is still battling an accelerated uptick in coronavirus cases with more than 18.6 million positive COVID-19 cases nationwide. The country’s death toll has also surpassed 325,000.
