will address the members, followed by the swearing in of members. watch our live, all day coverage. listen on the c-span radio app. >> on tuesday, the balance of power in the senate will be decided. republican senators david perdue and kelly leffler are defending their seats and republican control of the chamber. their challengers are jon ossoff and raphael warnock. we will have live coverage on c-span, these -- c-span.org, and the c-span radio app. facebook.com/c-span. we want to know about your experience and lands with the covid vaccine -- and plans with the covid vaccine this year. on tuesday, joe biden outlined

the challenges the vaccination efforts are facing and steps his administration plans to take. here's what president-elect biden had to say. [video clip] biden: the administration will spare no effort to make sure people get vaccinated. i have laid out three challenges in our first 100 days. that 100em, ensuring million shots have been administered by the end of the first 100 days. congress provides the funding -- if congress provides the funding, we will be able to meet this goal. the five to six times the current pace to one million shots per day. even with that improvement, even if we boost the speed to one million shots today, there will still take months to have a majority of the population vaccinated. directed my team to

prepare a much more aggressive effort with more federal involvement and leadership to get things on track. we will find a way to boost the pace of vaccinations, but as dr. fauci and others have stated these past due days, this will take more time. this is going to be the greatest operational challenge we have ever faced as a nation, but we are going to get it done. it will take a vast new effort. it is not yet underway. host: there have been stories going around about how the covid vaccine is being accepted by people around the country. the new york times has a story --s morning that talks about story earlier this week that talks about the number of people with the covid vaccine and what they are thinking about it. "ever since the race to develop a vaccine began, upbeat

announcements were stopped by ominous polls. growing numbers of people said they would refuse to get the shot. the timeframe was accelerated, people warned. the vaccine was a scam, other said. -- internet post-apocalyptic also with apocalyptic predictions from opponents, who decried the new shot is the the enemy of as every concern they had ever put forth. but over the past few weeks, attitudes are shifting." we want to know from you whether -- whether you plan to get the covid vaccine this year. let's get to our phone lines. let's start with kate, calling from chico, california.

kate says no, she does not plan to get the vaccine. good morning. caller: good morning. host: you don't plan to get the vaccine? why not? caller: because i think it was rushed through. i don't think they did enough trials. i might wait a year. i have hiv. my doctor advised me not to put a live virus into my body, so i road, butit down the trustrely on -- i don't -- they didn't do enough trials. it was rushed through, so -- host: you have already talked to your doctor about whether you can get it. did your doctor bring it up and say you should not get it, or

did you ask can i get it? caller: i was talking to my doctor about it he advised me not to get it. i am hiv-positive and i am on antivirals. he doesn't believe i should be putting a virus into my body, so -- but that's not why. he just corroborated. my mind was already made up. vaccination for chickenpox and he was paralyzed for six months. i want to see what happens. tom, callingo to from alverson, and sylvania. theoes plan to get vaccine. good morning. caller: good morning. i am planning to get the injection because, at first, we

were concerned, because there was no real -- no formal way of virusg up to get the medicine, but what happened was i am a member of the local fire company, and the county, through their health department, notified the fire company -- they get a list of the people who are actively engaged in firefighting, and i was able to sign-up. 8, they willary start to administer the vaccine. old.wise, i am 75 years i would be classified in about the same category. i have heard nothing from the health department from the state, only from the county. host: we have approval from gallup i want -- we have of

poll from gallup where the polls have shifted on the number of americans on whether they are willing to accept the vaccine. july, theart, back in number of people who were willing to get the covid vaccine, it has gone up. the number of people who said no, the number has gone down. actually, here's a good point to look at. see 5050 people saying -- 50-50 people saying yes and no. jumped to has no.yes and 37%

you if to hear from you plan to get -- we want to hear if you plan to get the vaccine this year. and i especially want to hear if you have already gotten the vaccine. hollis, calling from illinois. hollis says he does plan to get the coronavirus vaccine. good morning. caller: they can for the program. i am going to get the vaccine, but i have a few questions. i know of quite a few vaccines, ,nd i have not seen the results the side effects from all three. as one of them better? -- is one of them better? does one last longer? are all of them to shots? --two shots? thank you.

host: let's go to karen, calling from stone mountain, georgia. karen says she is not getting the vaccine this year. good morning. caller: good morning. host:? -- why not? caller: i want to know what the long-term side effects are. i want to know what will happen five years down the line. i do not feel safety. -- safe taking it. host: ok. let's go to our social media followers and see what they think about whether they will get the covid-19 vaccine this year. here's one post from facebook that says i already had the real thing. don't need. here's another post that says no, the vaccine has not been tested thoroughly. here's a tweet from twitter that

says i do plan on getting it. i like that. another tweet says, of course. vaccinations are how we defeat covid-19. another post from facebook -- twitter that says, i fear that, in the near future, one will need proof of vaccination to travel and into certain venues. -- inter certain venues. venues. certain another, i will not be the early adopter. one last post from facebook -- in five years, we will be watching commercials on tv saying, if you received the covid vaccine, you may be eligible for compensation. we want to know what you think. if you have had the vaccine already, call us and let us know.

back to our phone lines. let's talk to jim, calling from georgia, and jim says yes. he plans to get the vaccine. good morning. caller: thank you for taking my call. to my neighbor, karen, who lives in stone mountain, not far away, i want to say two things. first, to karen, i hear what you are saying, you know. i don't know what the long-term effects are. i am a little bit older, so i don't mind, you know, the long-term effects. i am not so worried about that. i will not be having any more children, so it is not something i am terribly concerned about. somebody who is younger, i can see that concern. that's the first thing. second thing, you know, i'm a little concerned that our health care industry is not staffed up

to do this. i was running some of the numbers. the eighth most populous state in the country, we need to be getting these inoculations done at a rate, a pretty high rate in order to get or 100u know, 50 million million -- i mean that's a lot of work. be heavy lifting for our health care industry. have theonvinced we staff to be able to make those numbers six months. that's a lot of and not deletions. inoculationsot of in a six-month period. that's my comment. georgiarol in decatur, has already gotten her vaccine. good morning.

caller: good morning. host: when did you get your first dose and how have you been since you have gotten it? caller: i was in the phase one muttered a trial -- phase one moderna trial. i have had zero side effects from the first shot. i had one day a little bit of a fever,e, little bit of a and incredibly tired the next day after the second vaccine, but since then, i have been perfectly fine and i am chock full of antibodies. host: let me make sure i understand you. you were part of the trial. you have been vaccinated with the covid-19 vaccine since april and the only side effects you had came from the second dose and you were tired. what else to do say? caller: i had a fever.

i spiked maybe one degree i was really tired. i had a little bit of a headache. that was for one day after the second dose of the vaccine. i was in phase one of the moderna trial, so i did get 100 micrograms. because of where i work, we get to check antibodies, and i definitely had them. i still abide by all the social distancing and were my mask, etc. my mask, etc. i understand people who are hesitant, but you could say the same thing for a lot of medications. they have all these side effects. thewhat we do know about virus is that some people are going to some -- to succumb to it one way or the other, and when you lay out the cost

vaccine, it is worth it for individuals in the world to get back into a better place. host: we had a call earlier that said that because she was taking another medicine, because she was hiv-positive, per dr. suggested she should not get it. suggested she should not get it. did you get any warnings about if you have this, you cannot get this vaccine? one, soi was in phase we had to be pretty healthy in all of our lab work and someone. we had to go through a lot of hoops. it has been shown to be safe so phase two part of it, that's when they are testing for people who have comorbidities and so forth, and

it sure does seem to be effective. host: is on if the group that got it first, what would you -- as part of the group that got it first, what would you suggest? should our viewers get the drug now or wait? caller: when you look at all the other successive vaccines, polio, hpv, your tetanus shot, rabies shots for people that need it, measles and so forth, i mean, the power of science and the safety of it, compared to the consequences of not getting the vaccine, i think it is really, definitely worth it. host: at a briefing this wednesday among top operation warp speed officials, u.s. army -- officials, u.s. army general, who oversees logistics,

was asked a delay in -- how a wouldin distribution affect further. [video clip] >> we don't keep walking straight ahead if things are not going where we need. we assess and we continue to make adjustments as the doctor just said and i'm going to add on. sureve worked hard to make the long-term health care facilities were ready to be implemented with a great partnership with cvs and walgreens and the states. and i think that is going to be a very, very sound program that, in years to come, will be used as a model. second, as more vaccine becomes a veryle, and we do see good, steady drumbeat of our vaccine coming out the manufacturing finish line, then

we will be able to expand distribution through the local brick-and-mortar pharmacy chains, the 19 that i talked about. we want to enable the governor's plans,- the governors and we think adding them to the distribution matrix through the provider agreement will expand capability and capacity of distribution throughout the entire country. there's over 70,000 pharmacies in -- already enrolled to do this. and so, as the vaccine becomes available, states determined distribution priorities. i visualize, as early as january the expansion15, will greatly increase access of vaccine to the american people. and then we are just going to continue on. assess.y we have to

every day, we have to keep pushing forward to ensure safe and effective vaccines are available to the american people. host: a family foundation did a survey in which they talked to people about why they were hesitant about the covid-19 vaccine and i want to read a couple paragraphs from that study to you. public remainse vaccine hesitant, saying they probably or definitely would not get a covid-19 vaccine even if it was available for free and it deemed safe by scientists. vaccine hesitancy is highest among republicans, 42%. those aged 32-49, 36%. in rural residents -- and rural residents, 45%. -- 35%.

arethird of black adults hesitant, one third of health 30% of those and who work in the health care delivery sending. 59% site worries about side effects. -- cite worries about side effects. we want to know from you, do you plan to get the covid vaccine this year? let's talk to paul, calling from virginia. paul says yes. good morning. caller: yes. i am planning to get it as soon as they will let me get it. host: paul, are you worried about any of those things i just talked about?

are you worried it came out too fast? are you worried about side effects? caller: no, not worried about any of that. i would like to make one comment, and my comment is i do not know why we are being concerned at this early time about the people that don't want to get the vaccine, because there's plenty of people that want to get it right now. let's go ahead and try to get it to everybody that want to get wants to get it on the worldwide basis. until everyone in the world that wants it has gotten it, i don't see why we are talking about the people that do not want to get it. michael,'s go to calling from winterhaven, florida. michael is already gotten the vaccine. good morning.

caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. i am a veteran, 73. i decided to take it. it is a personal choice for all of us. but wearing the masks and keeping my distance, that's still important to me and it may one, two, three years, we don't know, but i chose to do that. so it is a personal choice. host: tell us about your experience. how long ago did you get the vaccine and have you had both doses or just one? caller: i am waiting on the next one, on the 19th. so about a week ago. as far as the symptoms, not anything. sometimes,shots and

pfizerw, but with that -- i think it is the nurse in my case. they did it right for me. , nod no side effects at all headaches. i had nothing. i think it is mostly, for me in me, in my mind. you worry. host: tell us where you got your vaccine. did you get it from your own private doctor, from a mass vaccination site? how was the process for you? caller: i am a veteran. they brought it here. and -- went up and

got my vaccination there and i look forward to getting the next one on the 19th. it is a personal choice. think about it. if you are not going to take it, but a mask on -- it, but a mask on and stay away. host: let's go to robert, calling from port st. lucie, florida. robert plays on getting a coronavirus vaccine. -- plans on getting a coronavirus vaccine. good morning. caller: good morning. i tried to call. i called so many times and i got a busy signal. the next time, there was a recording on the machine. run's a hell of a way to the vaccine program. it is totally frustrating. host: where were you calling? the hospital, your county health

department? where were you trying to get the vaccine from? caller: i called my doctor's office. the nurse come embarrassingly -- the nurse, embarrassingly, said we only have one number to call. that is where i got the busy signal. i have copd. maybe i should call the v.a. this civilian system starts from the top down, and that is trump. nobody knows what they are doing. marianne's go to in denver, pennsylvania. she is not getting the vaccine. good morning. caller: good morning. host: you don't plan to get the vaccine this year. caller: no, and i find it

difficult for people who look down on people who cannot get it. i say cannot because i am allergic to about nine different medications, including penicillin, tetracycline, sulfur, very basic meds. when i got a cat scan, i was in the hospital and i went into an anaphylactic coma and they told me i almost did not make it. when people say, if you are allergic, just have it done in a hospital, if you have allergies like i do, it is way too scary to gamble and take that chance. but if i did not have all those obstacles, i have one basic question. i heard on television that they cannot guarantee that the antibodies stay in your body past six months. --t would mean that would

that people would have to get these vaccinations every six months. host: i don't know anything about that, and i frankly don't think that they know yet. it is still very early in this process. hil, callingp from austin, indiana. he says he plans on getting the covid-19 vaccine. good morning. caller: yes, i will get mine as soon as i can get it. i will be 65 next month. this is the first year i have not been able to be with my family and i miss them very much. i asked my doctor how soon i can get mine. as soon as it becomes available, i will be one of the first in line. she had hers and she had no reactions at all. host: you said you called your doctor and your doctor said she had already gotten the vaccine and had no side effects,

correct? caller: yes. host: now, are you worried you need -- are you worried in any shape, form, or fashion about it being too early? caller: no. it is 95% positive and i am ready to get it. host: well come up you did a you did a survey and talk to people about their reasons for getting covid vaccine. researchs from p you -- pew research. one of the main reasons people said they wanted to get the coronavirus vaccine was personal concern about getting covid-19, including potential hospitalization. they also had trust in the vaccine development process and camenal practices when it

to other previous vaccines like the annual flu vaccines. people saw they took other vaccines that worked and so were ready to put their trust in getting the covid vaccine. what do you think? we want to know what you think about whether you are going to get the covid-19 vaccine this year. let's go to our phone lines. let's go to jerome, calling from detroit, michigan. drum says he does not plan to get it this year. -- jerome says he does not plan to get it this year. good morning. are you there? let's go to jim, calling from new york. he says he plans to get the covid vaccine this year. good morning. caller: good morning. glad to see you doing the show. i have to get the vaccine. i have heart disease. i have a rare autoimmune

disease. and i never get more [indiscernible] and i trust the science. my wife is scared to death to bring it home to me. we are still married after 30 years. i have to sleep. we can both ease our minds. tim, callingalk to from alabama. he says no, he will not get the vaccine this year. good morning. caller: i am not getting in this year or any other time. i have a couple of things. general,at the surgeon dr. fauci, or the cdc will not tell any of us what's in the drug, what the drug is composed of. the other reason is because

something to do with eugenics. back in the late 1800s, they came up with eugenics, and one of the things they wanted to do get rid of the feebleminded over the people who they thought were useless to society -- feebleminded or the people who they thought were useless to society, older people, the handicapped, criminals -- that they deemed indiana, -- and so, in during the early 1900s, with this eugenics, they sterilized this iseople, and partly what is going on today. they say that they want to give the vaccine to the elderly first.

well, i am 70 years old. the elderly. well, according to eugenics, the elderly have served their time. they have made their contribution and the other part that i want to say is they want to give it to the majority of black people because they seem to get it first because, i guess, the type of immunities -- communities they illumine. why, after 300 years of lynching and killing black folks, they want to save us first? host: let's go to michael, calling from minnesota, and he says yes. he will get the vaccine. good morning. ander: good morning, jesse, happy new year to you, brother. i will get the vaccine because i work at a treatment facility.

as well, i am president of an association. so far, we have not been able to gather as a group. as you probably know, my brother, we have seen a rise in alcohol and drug use during this endemic,nd -- this and we need to work together to prevent the spread of the pandemic as individuals would have had substance abuse issues. tragicallyis melting -- it is mounting tragically across the country. it is too much. we are human beings. individuals need to be able to sit with each other and work out these things. host: on wednesday, during a theersation between -- on coronavirus pandemic between dr. anthony fauci and careful new --

and california governor gavin newsom, dr. fauci discussed the new strain of covid reported in california. [video clip] surprised i am not you have a case in likely more cases in california. we likely will be seeing reports from other states. colorado was the first. i think you will see it. if you have that much of a prominence of this in the u.k. with all the travel, not only directly to the u.s., but to other countries intermittently, i don't think californians should feel this is something odd. this is something that is expected. with regard to your specific question, there's a lot we know because our british colleagues have been studying it carefully, and there are things we will

soon know more about him definitive way. -- about in definitive way. -- a definitive way. it is clear that the transmissibility of this is more efficient than the transmissibility of the standard virus we have been dealing with up to now. mainly, it is able to bind to the receptors on cells better and is transmitted better. there's no indication at all that increases the virulence. it does not seem to make it more strong in that regard. in addition, it does not seem to evade the protections afforded by the antibodies induced by vaccines. the other thing have noted in the u.k. is that people who have been infected do not seem to get reinfected by this, which means that the immunity given to you when you get infected is protective against this particular strain and, thus far,

it does not seem to have any impact on diagnostics, where you would miss it from a diagnostic standpoint. host: let's see what some of our social media followers think about whether they will get a covid-19 vaccine this year. here's one tweet that says, yes. as soon as i can. must wait for the first responders and the politicians to get theirs. another tweet says -- vaccination. my body, my choice. yes, i tweet says -- took my first vaccination this week. another tweet that says -- florida is badly managing the process, where there are old people waiting in long lines in not enough vaccines. -- and not enough vaccines. another -- yes. i went to see when i can get vaccinated.

i am in the last group, general public. they estimate, that group will get vaccines made 2021. -- they estimate that group will get vaccines made, 2021. do you plan to get a coke vaccine this year? calling fromori, whittier, north carolina. she says no. caller: i wanted to call and to say that i do not intend to get one this year. cnn, andcame out from if you go to their website, you can find it. there's going to be like four or five different vaccines for this covid-19. vaccine and the pfizer vaccine injects you with the live virus in the vaccine. -- finvac is coming up with

a vaccine that will vaccinate so, ifh the dead virus, i absolutely have to get one, i am going to wait for the killed vaccine, whichac hasn't come out yet. i think people need to do their homework. as all vaccines are equal far as how they are produced, number one. people need to look at the vaccine history in the united states and do their homework on that. you know, my heart goes out to -- to the tuskegee airmen who have had to endure tragedies

due to the vaccine industry and experiments that have been done. that is all i would like to say. host: let's go to jeffrey, who was calling from annapolis, maryland. jeffrey says yes, he does plan to get vaccinated. host: good morning -- caller: good morning. the look without the beard looks great. congratulations. yes, i plan to get the vaccine marineetired merchant officer that's currently an emt annapolis, maryland. i can appreciate the previous comments from previous scholars who do not want to get the vaccine. -- callers who do not want to get the vaccine. i can understand there's some hesitation, but from what i gathered, i think it's worth the risk. , myself beingthat inoculated many, many times in the military, including for

anthrax and other vaccines, if that has not killed me, i don't think the covid vaccine will kill me. thank you for c-span and carry-on. happy new year. host: the question becomes who will be the next group people to get the coronavirus vaccine. there's a story in the washington post from a couple days ago. i will read a few paragraphs so you can see what they are saying. florida and other republican-led states are bucking federal advice to provide other doses -- early doses to front-line workers, choosing instead to prioritize the elderly, a decision exposing fissures in the nationwide immunization campaign. priorityfficials give --the second tier two

to grocery store workers and others. but officials in florida and texas are moving ahead with a different strategy, asking front-line workers to wait. the choices reflect distinct needs in a highly diverse nation where the coronavirus has killed unevenly. they highlight an emerging could present obstacles to the national effort to curb the pandemic. the divergence is coming into view as the states to face delays in the administration of vaccine doses, each operating on its own timeline based on capacities." wiley, calling from iowa city, iowa. good morning. tells about your experience.

-- tell us about your experience. caller: i work in an operating room. i got fortunate to get in on new year's eve. -- thehem a moderna. i will get in four weeks the other shot. if people saw the condition of coronavirus patients, they would want the vaccine. host: have you gotten both doses or just one and what was your experience? and i: i just got the one have not had any issues for a sore arm or anything. i have continued to work beyond that. weeks, i havefor an appointment -- i expect, in four weeks, i have an appointment to get my second dose. host: how did it work for you to get the vaccine? caller: once the hospital got

the vaccine, it took us 10 days or something after the start. the hospital prioritized their workers by the most closely working with the covid and then the general patient population and then, once all the employees , thewant to get it hospital intends to open up to the general public of our city. host: let's go to john, calling from bismarck, north dakota. john says he will not be getting the covid-19 vaccine. good morning. caller: good morning. host: so, john -- caller: caller i don't plan on getting it -- caller: i don't plan on getting it. i've had friends that got covid. they survived. survivability rate.

those that survived said it was not a big deal. it was not pleasant, but they were over at, and now they have they have the anybod -- antibodies. i'm healthy. i don't have any comorbidities. i'm under 60. it just doesn't concern me at all. i don't have anybody in my life that's close to me who's elderly or who has comorbidities, so i don't think it's necessary. plus, i know this might sound andd, but i am a movie buff i have watched world war z and i am legend and those movies. ugh -- all that trouble came after people got the vaccinations. it was not the disease that caused the issue.

that's my thoughts. host: i want to remind everybody out there that there's going to be a special washington journal theng up tomorrow, sunday, opening day of the 117th congress. washington journal will take you there with a special five hour show starting live at noon eastern. watch the opening day of the 117th congress right here on c-span, specie into, online at c-span.org, and on the free c-span radio app. special opening-day coverage of the new congress right here on c-span. make sure you tune in for that. let's go back to our phone lines and talk to kittie, calling from tennessee. she says she's already been vaccinated. good morning. caller: good morning. host: tells about your vaccination experience.

-- tell us about your vaccination experience. caller: today will be the third day after the vaccination. i was worried about the effects of it, so i was kind of waiting to see if i was going to have the flu symptoms, but i mean, my arm was kind of sore but not really anything. i'm fine. really, now, i don't expect to get anything. symptoms. host: talk to us about your experience getting the vaccine. did you have to wait in line, make an appointment? what was your experience getting it? caller: i had heard the neighboring health department was giving the vaccinations to called myr 75, so i physician near me, and they told me that they also verified that that county's health department was giving vaccinations to anyone over 75. i called and went in three days

and two days ago, whatever, it was drive-thru. so it was a ton of cars there. there had to have been at least 100 people waiting, so you had to wait, but it didn't bother me at all. i decided i was not going to get it to start with, but i got the monitora. -- the moderna. it was fine. host: let's go to rebecca, going from spring hills, florida. said sherebecca does play to get the vaccine. good morning. caller: good morning. host: why do you plan to get the vaccine? caller: i came from a generation where we were vaccinated for smallpox. we had the polio vaccination. some of these were done in our school systems. they would come to our schools and give them to us.

without vaccination, our country would be totally different today. without this one, we may find out what will happen and it will not be good. host: let's go to edward, calling from jersey city, new jersey. edward says, no, he does not plan to get the vaccine. good morning. caller: hi, jesse. good morning. i noticed you cut your beard off. happy new year. tell greta by. -- hi. host: you said you don't play to get the vaccine. why not? caller: it comes in two doses. i am distrusting of that. it is not mandatory either. i am a funeral agent. you cans past year, imagine, earlier in the year, there was like an overload at the funeral home. it was very sad the first time

-- it was very sad. the first time we experienced anything like this. people generally couldn't even come and mourn in groups. i am distrusting of it. i have onlyine had maybe three times in my life. they want you to take that every year. i know people who have gotten sick in the flu shot. i've been tested four times for covid. it is like every time we go to a nursing home now, we have to be tested. but i am unsure about the vaccine. i have a family member who is a physician's assistant and he took the vaccine and he finds -- the rest of our family, we talk about it, and we are like, no, no, no. if it is not mandatory, i am not also,ployers mandating it

you know? it is scary. i don't know what we are going to do, but i am not willing to take a vaccine right now. i'm just not. host: on tuesday, president-elect biden discussed plans for vaccine distribution, especially in minority and underserved immunities. here's what president-elect biden had to say. [video clip] >> i will move heaven and earth to get us going in that direction. i will use the defense production act in order private industry to accelerate making materials needed for the vaccines and predictive -- protective gear. vice president harris and i have been speaking to county officials, mayors, governors of both parties to speed up distribution of the vaccine across the nation. we are planning a whole of government effort to set up vaccination sites and send

mobile units to hard to reach communities. we also know there's vaccine hesitancy in many communities, especially black, tino, and native american, who have -- communities, especially black, latino, and native american, who have not always been treated with the dignity they deserve. we will start a campaign to increase vaccine acceptance to show vaccines are self and critically -- are safe and critically important to one's own health and the health of communities. we will ensure vaccines are distributed equitably so everyone who wants vaccine can get it. we will ensure vaccines are free of charge. host: let's go back to our social media followers to see what they think about whether they are going to get a covid-19

vaccine this year. here's a text that says -- if people want the country to return to normal, they will get the vaccine as i will. be patriotic. get vaccinated. says, i will get it when it is available. i will continue to wear my mask, social distance, even after getting the vaccine. another text -- you should get some form of certificate of vaccination to get into certain places. another text -- i'm 73 with a heart condition. i will take my shot when available. i will probably have to wait available, as they said all people in prisons will be ahead of elderly people. another that says -- i will get the vaccine as soon as president trump sticks his arm out, but he is afraid of needles, so it may

be a while. back to our phone lines, i want to read a story from web md the talks about whether kobe vaccines will be required if you have to go back to work. -- whether covid vaccines will be required if you have to go back to work. "now that vaccines are being distributed, you may be wondering whether your employer can require you to get vaccinated. the answer is yes with a few conditions, according to new federal guidance. the eeoc enforces workplace antidiscrimination laws and has weighed in on covid-19 preventative measures. mandate the can covid-19 vaccine provided they accommodate religion and disability related objections and the employee receives it from a provider that does not contract with the lawyer -- with the employer.

a lawyer says. if you refuse to get vaccinated, you maybe worried about getting fired. the eeoc is clear that the first move is not termination. employers have to try to work with employees first. alternatives include asking them to take a leave of absence work remotely. -- or work remotely." that's coming from web md. employersto the eeoc, may be able to require you to get a covid vaccine. let's go back to our phone lines and see whether people plan to get the covid vaccine on their own. we'll start with jeanette, calling from st. petersburg, florida. jeanette says yes, she plans to get the covid vaccine. good morning. caller: good morning. i live in st. petersburg, florida.

first of all, i had 65 years old. i remember getting my very first vaccine in a sugar cube as a child. i have gotten every vaccine that they have ever put out there, from shingles to hepatitis a to the flu to pneumonia. i want to work. i took a job. they did not enforce any covid restrictions. nobody had to wear a mask. everybody shook hands. i had to leave that job, lost unemployment over it. i need to work, but because i live in a state where it is not taken seriously by our governor, i need to get that vaccine and i plan on doing it as soon as they let me sign up, which i believe is monday. host: let's go to sandy, calling from kent, ohio. sadie says no. -- sandy says no. good morning. caller: good morning.

i live in senior housing and so far we do not have the covid anywhere in our building. however, they are offering it. it has lots of facts, even the ingredients that are in the vaccine, which you cannot pronounce. they are long words. it also says that people who are on blood thinners and different things like that maybe shouldn't get it. difficultys could be breathing, swelling of the face, fast heartbeat, rash, joint pain, muscle pain, headaches. there's a long list of different things that could happen to you. not necessarily, but some people who have allergies also, it says, maybe shouldn't get it. i don't think i'm going to be signing up to get it.

however, they are offering it in our building. host: let's go to david, calling from kentucky. david says yes. good morning. caller: good morning. i want to get it. i want to give my experience too. i was the first one in my county, the doctors told me, to have covid. i went to my personal doctor and he sent me to the hospital. this is march 26 or so. they cap mean the hospital for a couple days -- they kept me in the hospital for a couple days, but they sent me home. my kids brought me food here. i was in quarantine for 33 days. they monitor me. i can go anywhere. -- i couldn't go anywhere.

to give you my experience, i almost died here at home. but a diabetic on insulin, if you think about what i have august, july and august, i had the box. i had to use the bathroom in the box. i sent it back. i had the possibility of: answer. -- colon cancer. they took part of my colon out. this fall, i went to the doctor. i was hurting my chest. i just want and for a blood test. -- in for a blood test. the doctor said we better run an ekg. he said go to the hospital right now. so -- don't wait. they put me in the hospital than

glasgow, close to where i live. then they sent me to bowling green and i had open heart surgery for blockages. host: washington journal contin. host: we are back with dan caldwell, the senior advisor for concerned veterans for america. he is here to discuss his group's priority for the new congress and the incoming by demonstration. good morning. guest: thank you for having me on this morning. host: tell us what the mission is for concerned veterans for america and how are you funded. guest: concerned veterans for america is a veterans advocacy organization to advocate for the policy that preserve the freedom and prosperity we fought and sacrificed