As the vaccine for COVID-19 is made available, political leaders fall in line for the immunization.
According to CNN, President-elect Joe Biden will get the coronavirus vaccination next week and plans to receive the shot publicly to aid against public distrust against the vaccine.
Read More: Trump says he’s nixing plan for early vaccine at White House
Sources told the news outlet the delay in taking the virus comes down to mapping out proper logistics for the event to be made public rather than hesitation.
“I don’t want to get ahead of the line, but I want to make sure we demonstrate to the American people that it is safe to take,” Biden said, according to the report. “When I do it, I’ll do it publicly, so you can all witness my getting it done.”
Earlier this month, the former vice president informed CNN’s Jake Tapper he would be willing to get the vaccination once Dr. Anthony Fauci agreed it was safe. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris also said she would get vaccinated against coronavirus.
theGrio reported former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush also plan to take the COVID-19 vaccine in the public eye to build trust in the medicine.
“I understand, historically, everything dating back all the way to the Tuskegee experiments and so forth, why the African American community would have some skepticism,” Obama admitted, according to the report. “But the fact of the matter is, is that vaccines are why we don’t have polio anymore. And they’re the reason why we don’t have a whole bunch of kids dying from measles and smallpox and diseases that used to decimate entire populations and communities.”
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The Washington Post reported Vice President Mike Pence is expected to get the COVID-19 vaccine this week. Second lady Karen Pence and Surgeon General Jerome Adams are also reportedly scheduled for the coronavirus immunization. The vaccinations will be broadcast live, according to White House reps.
Outgoing President Donald Trump has pushed back against White House officials being first-in-line for the vaccine. theGrio reported the administration faced criticism for prioritizing vaccinations after consistently downplaying the drastic nature of COVID-19 by not wearing masks, spreading false information, and hosting large events.
“People working in the White House should receive the vaccine somewhat later in the program, unless specifically necessary,” Trump wrote in a tweet. “I have asked that this adjustment be made. I am not scheduled to take the vaccine, but look forward to doing so at the appropriate time.”
According to CBS News, a second vaccine by Moderna is near approval for distribution and use. Currently, the Pfizer vaccine is being used at hospitals and nursing homes across the United States.
theGrio reported more than 6 million doses of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine will be ready to ship by Friday and, once approved, they’ll distribute the vaccine to 3,285 sites across the country.
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