U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen publicly received the COVID-19 vaccine at the White House on Friday, in an attempt to shore up public support for vaccinations as U.S. cases of COVID-19 soared over 17 million.

Live on television, the couple was vaccinated and joined by Surgeon General Jerome Adams. 

"Building confidence in the vaccine is what brings us here this morning," said Pence after taking the shot. "I didn't feel a thing. Well done."

They were injected with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized for emergency use a week ago.

Top infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield were in the audience. 

"We want virtually everyone eligible to get this vaccine ultimately," Dr. Fauci said in a brief remark after the public vaccination. 

The FDA was expected to approve a second vaccine for emergency use, this one from Moderna Inc., on Friday.

But U.S. President Donald Trump, who was absent from Pence's injection, jumped ahead of the agency, tweeting earlier on the day that Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine had been approved.

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden will receive a public vaccination next week. 

(With input from agencies)