Dr. Babur Lateef was the patient today.
Lateef, who was working as an on-call ophthalmologist in Prince William County on Tuesday, and is also the elected county At-large School Board Chairman, received his vaccination for the coronavirus at Novant Health / UVA Health System Prince William Medical Center in Manassas.
“I am not throwing away my shot,” Lateef wrote in a post to Facebook about those who have said they would choose not to receive the new vaccine.
“It feels great to have gotten the shot,” Lateef told PLN. “It feels just like a flu shot.”
Lateef urged everyone, especially those who are 65 years or older, to get the vaccination. The Democrat credited the Trump Administration’s Project Warp Speed that saw the development of the first-of-its-kind coronavirus vaccine in less than a year.
As School Board Chairman, Lateef has been outspoken about returning children to in-person learning in Prince William County Public Schools.
Kindergarten and first-grade students have returned to in-person learning at Prince William schools at a 50% capacity as of December 2. Half of the students sit with a teacher inside a classroom, and the other half use a laptop to attend class from home.
Second and third-grade students aren’t due back to an in-person classroom until January 12, 2021. Middle and high school students won’t be able to walk through a school building door until February 2.
As a front-line healthcare worker, Lateef was one of the first people in the region to receive the coronavirus vaccination. Last week, Dr. Alison Ansher, director of the Prince William Health District, said hospital workers, first responders, and seniors who live in assisted living homes would be the first in the area to relieve the shots.
The state expects to receive 480,000 doses of the vaccine this month.
