'Would you mind vaccinating President-elect Biden?' UOttawa graduate gets shot at presidential moment

uOttawa grad delivers vaccine to Biden Nurse Ric Cuming administered the COVID-19 vaccine to the U.S. president. CTV's Leah Larocque reports.

OTTAWA — A University of Ottawa alumnus got his shot at fame when he administered the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to U.S. President Joe Biden.

Ric Cuming is now the chief nurse executive at ChristianaCare Health System in Wilmington, Delaware. On January 11, 2021, he vaccinated the then President-elect.

"The first thing he said to me was thank you so much for being here. What do you say to that? It was absolutely my pleasure," said Cuming.

Cuming says he never expected the call from the hospital to his office, asking him to keep a big secret until January 11, 2021.

"She said, 'What are you doing on that date?' I said whatever you want me to do. She said, 'Well would you mind vaccinating President-elect Biden for his second dose?'" said Cuming. "I was like, sure. No problem."

Cuming he had to go through a thorough vetting and prep from the U.S. Secret Service.

"There were a number of Secret Service officers with me the entire time. The Biden team had prepped me that there would be a fair amount of press, and they suggested that I do my best …to ignore them," said Cuming. "They also shared that at some point a reporter may stick a boom microphone over my head.”

Cuming says, "I remember thinking? I wonder if they are going to find out that a Canadian is vaccinating the next leader of the free world. I never asked!"

Cuming was born in Montreal and graduated from the John Abbott College nursing program in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec. He then moved to Ottawa to get his Bachelor of Science in nursing at the University of Ottawa. He also worked as an ICU nurse at the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus and General Campus before moving to the United States.

"My career today has been heavily influenced and impacted by my early preparation. I look back at my time at Ottawa with fond memories," Cuming said.

Was Cuming nervous about vaccinating the President? "I joked after, I am glad that neither of us fainted!" said Cuming.

After the press left, Cuming says he was able to chat with Biden about the frontlines and health care. The importance of that moment is not lost on Cuming.

"That vaccination represented hope and potential health to a country that was hurting, to a world that was hurting."

The 35-year nursing veteran, forever in the history books, with ties to Canada’s capital.

“To your viewers, if they or their children display an interest in science or caring for people, consider a career in nursing," says Cuming.