Fully vaccinated Surgeon General Vivek Murthy revealed Friday that he has tested positive for COVID-19.
Murthy revealed his diagnosis just days after his 4-year-old daughter came down with the virus.
The official’s wife, Alice, and their 5-year-old son — both of whom are vaccinated and boosted — have tested positive, he said.
In a lengthy Twitter thread, the 44-year-old said he, his wife and son had “mild symptoms,” while his daughter had an improving fever.
Murthy’s daughter, the first family member to test positive, is too young to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
“She’s still congested and is now hoarse from all the coughing, but thankfully she’s still smiling and enjoying her arts and crafts,” Murthy said.
“I’m experiencing muscle aches, chills and sore throat,” he added.
Murthy went on to sympathize with those who have tested positive even if they’d been taking precautions.
“When you’ve been as safe as you can, getting COVID-19 can be frustrating and disappointing. I’ve felt that,” he said. “It can also be a source of shame. Many people assume you must have been careless to get sick. Our safety measures reduce risk but they can’t eliminate risk.
“So if you’ve done everything you can and gotten COVID-19 anyway, don’t beat yourself up. A lot of us are doing the best we can.”
The nation’s top doctor, who has heavily promoted the COVID vaccine throughout the pandemic, said it was a “major source of peace of mind” that all but one of his immediately family had received the shot.
“Vaccines are very effective at saving our lives and keeping us out of the hospital. As parents, I can’t tell you how reassuring it is to know we’ll be able to care for our kids even if we get infected,” he said.
