- The Washington Times - Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Paul McCartney would like a little help from his friends in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

The Beatles legend shared through his social media accounts Monday a photo of himself getting vaccinated and said his fans should get their shots.

“Be cool. Get vax’d - Paul,” Mr. McCartney, 79, said.

The photo was posted on social media services including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, resulting in hundreds of thousands of interactions from the millions of users who follow Mr. McCartney’s accounts.

“Get Vax’d, think of others!” responded Brian Ray, an American musician who frequently shares the stage with Mr. McCartney.

It was not clear when the image was taken. Mr. McCartney said last year, prior to COVID-19 shots becoming publicly available in his native Britain, that he would get vaccinated as soon as he was eligible.

“The vaccine will get us out of this,” Mr. McCartney said in December while speaking to The Sun. “I’ll have it as soon as I’m allowed.”

Public health officials say vaccinating people against COVID-19, the highly contagious disease caused by the novel coronavirus, will help to end the global pandemic that erupted in late 2019.

Several major entertainers have urged their fans recently to get vaccinated amid a shrinking yet substantial number of adults choosing to skip getting a shot.

In the United Kingdom, more than 48 million people, including 88.7% of the nation’s adult population, are at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the British government. In the U.S.,, 70% of people age 18 years and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.

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