BATON ROUGE - The state's interim top COVID doctor received his coronavirus vaccine Tuesday.

Dr. Joseph Kanter has taken the high-profile position as the state's face of the COVID response after Dr. Alex Billioux resigned in the fall. Kanter is the interim assistant secretary of the Office of Public Health and has appeared at news conferences related to the state's virus response with the governor. 

Kanter and other medical professionals were vaccinated at a hospital in New Orleans, the second day of vaccines in Louisiana.  Hospitals in Baton Rouge began vaccinations Tuesday.

"I think it was an opportunity to be excited about the vaccine being here, and to show that," Kanter told WBRZ Tuesday afternoon. "But also, to show that we mean what we say. I think this is a very efficacious vaccine. I think it's a very safe vaccine."

Kanter, who has warned of continued COVID spread amid early rounds of vaccinations, said on social media Tuesday he was "excited to join front-line hospital colleagues... to get my COVID-19 vaccination."  He continued, "step by step, we will put this pandemic behind us." 

A friend asked me why I went #SleevesUpLA today.

We have an amazing 20 month old daughter who is full of wonder and zest. I want her to grow up without having to worry about the virus. I want her to be free to hug and play.

I did it for her! pic.twitter.com/hDBZWVeI0q

— Joseph Kanter (@JoeKanter) December 15, 2020

As of Tuesday afternoon, Kanter said Louisiana had received roughly two-thirds of the 39,000 doses expected to arrive in the state this week. The outlying doses were anticipated Wednesday. Through the first two days of distribution and administration, Kanter says the process has gone as anticipated, without any hiccups.

Click HERE for the latest on COVID in Louisiana. 

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