Queer Eye Star Jonathan Van Ness recently shared that he received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. According PEOPLEVan Ness, who was open about his HIV-positive condition, revealed that he was eligible to receive the first dose of the vaccine in New York after the state introduced new eligibility releases. On Instagram, the Netflix personality shared a photo of her taking the vaccine and encouraged others to see if they could get the vaccine too.
Van Ness wrote on Instagram that he has been working with the state of New York to expand its vaccine program to include more individuals with pre-existing diseases such as HIV. He noted that being HIV positive is one of the pre-existing conditions that allow vaccination against COVID-19. As a result, he urged his followers to examine guidelines for pre-existing diseases in their respective states to see if they can receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. THE Queer Eye star wrote, next to a picture of him (wearing two masks) while receiving his dose of the vaccine: “If I hadn’t been looking online every day, I wouldn’t have seen it, so def get involved with your research. This was my first picture besides a little pain in my arm, it had no side effects and I will have my second injection in a few weeks. “
“Each state has different guidelines, so you will want to look at yours,” continued Van Ness. “I definitely need patience, determination and internet access to do this, so please, if you can help other people to get information or access, please, for this. Big hug and happy Monday! I want to take my mask to put the strongest underneath, so I just layered them as they were! Stay safe xx. “
PEOPLE noted that individuals in New York with underlying health problems have been eligible to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine since February 15. “We are committed to vaccinating the vulnerable populations that have suffered the most, as we distribute a strictly limited supply of vaccines and people with comorbidities account for 94 percent of the state’s COVID deaths,” announced New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. “That is why we will open eligibility for people with comorbidities starting on February 15th and give hospitals the ability to use the extra doses they need to serve this population.”