President Donald Trump is indicating he will get the COVID-19 vaccine at some point but has no plans yet to do so.
“I am not scheduled to take the vaccine, but look forward to doing so at the appropriate time,” Trump tweeted late Sunday. “Thank you!”
He also noted that “people working in the White House should receive the vaccine somewhat later in the program, unless specifically necessary. I have asked that this adjustment be made.”
People working in the White House should receive the vaccine somewhat later in the program, unless specifically necessary. 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. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2020
The president’s remarks regarding White House staffers comes shortly after The New York Times reported that Trump planned to have senior White House staffers receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the next few days.
The Times reports, citing two sources, that the policy — before Trump changed it — was that White House staffers who work closely with the president were told they would get the vaccine soon.
Trump previously contracted COVID-19 and recovered from the virus.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the emergency use of Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine on Friday.
After the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield signed a CDC advisory panel’s recommendation of the vaccine, he said on Sunday, “I was proud to sign the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendation to use Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in people 16 and older.”
U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar said during a “Today” show interview on Monday that he hopes Americans get the vaccine when it is available to them.
“This is a 94% effective vaccine,” he said, adding, “If you are recommended to get it, and it’s available for you…please get the vaccine.”
The first COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.S. are expected to start on Monday. This comes as the U.S. nears 300,000 deaths due to the virus, and has averaged 210,112 new cases per day over the past week.