U.S. Representative Brett Guthrie visited Owensboro Health on Tuesday to tour the vaccine clinic.

The congressmen also met with local leaders to hear firsthand how the rollout is going in Western Kentucky.

"I am on the Health Oversight Committee in Washington. . . So we see a lot of this and hear a lot of this," said Rep. Guthrie. "It is nice to get on the ground with people actually implementing; moving forward."

The congressman recalling the early days of the pandemic, when his conversations with local health leaders were grimmer, as they discussed overwhelming numbers of COVID-19 patients and the dire need for PPE.

"My focus became, as the ranking Republican on the committee, Operation Warp Speed," said Rep. Guthrie. "It is impressive what you are doing here."

He went on to credit the success of the rapid rollout to the planning and efficiency at the local level. The congressman is encouraging everyone to book an appointment for the vaccine immediately. In most areas, there are plenty of available appointments to get people immunized quickly.

"The standard of this vaccine is not less than the standard of any vaccine that has been promoted," assured Rep. Guthrie.