Covid-19: Three former US presidents may take vaccine shot on camera

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is scrutinising the data submitted by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE to grant the required approval for emergency use. While President Donald Trump continues to question what he believes is a delayed approval of the Covid-19 vaccine, the three most recent former presidents have volunteered to lead an awareness campaign once the vaccine is available for people at lesser risk.

Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have shown willingness to encourage the sceptical Americans to take the Covid-19 vaccine shot by publicly getting inoculated against the coronavirus disease. During an interview on SiriusXM’s The Joe Madison Show, Obama said that he would get the shot if Dr Anthony Fauci, US’ top infectious disease expert, tells him the vaccine is safe.

“I promise you that when it’s been made for people who are less at risk, I will be taking it. I may end up taking it on TV or having it filmed, just so that people know that I trust this science,” Obama said.

After Obama’s remarks, CNN reported that Bush’s chief of staff, Freddy Ford, said the president has already reached out to Dr Fauci and Dr Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, to check if he could help in promoting the vaccine. Ford added that vaccines need to be deemed safe, and administered to the frontline workers and people at greater risk.

“Then, President Bush will get in line for his, and will gladly do so on camera,” he added.

Clinton’s press secretary, Angel Urena, also told the media network that the president will definitely take a vaccine as soon as it is made available to him based on priorities determined by the health officials. Urena said that Clinton would take the vaccine in a public setting if it encourages other Americans to get the doses.

As the United States is waiting for an emergency use authorisation of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine, Dr Fauci has indicated that some people are still concerned about the safety of the vaccine. Speaking to Fox News, Dr Fauci said that the FDA is doing “the correct way”, asserting that the US agency scrutinises the data “very carefully” to guarantee a safe and efficacious vaccine.