President Donald Trump said that he and White House officials would not be among the first to be vaccinated when the United States begins its coronavirus vaccination programme on Monday.
Mr Trump said in a tweet on Sunday that he had directed that top government officials should be vaccinated “somewhat later.” He said he personally was "not scheduled” to be vaccinated.
Other top US officials are expected to be offered the newly-approved Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine within days as part of a plan to ensure continuity in government amid the pandemic.
Mr Trump, his wife Melania and and a number of White House officials contracted the virus earlier this year but without becoming critically ill.
The Pfizer vaccine, which has a reported 95 per cent efficacy rate, will be offered to essential personnel in all three branches of government. The shots will be staggered over the following 10 days to ensure staff do not experience possible side effects all at the same time, people familiar with the vaccination plan told Bloomberg.
Health officials are seeking to build public confidence in the vaccinations and have recommended offering doses to top government members as a way to achieve this.
National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot confirmed the plan in a statement late on Sunday.
“The American people should have confidence that they are receiving the same safe and effective vaccine as senior officials of the United States government on the advice of public health professionals and national security leadership,” he said.
President-elect Joe Biden will follow the guidance of Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, about when to take a coronavirus vaccine and will have it administered in public, a transition official said.
In general, the first people in the US to get the Pfizer vaccine approved on Friday will be healthcare workers and vulnerable residents of care homes. Various other groups, from airline workers to teachers to meatpackers, are keen for early access too.
US health officials on Sunday warned that scepticism about the vaccines among many Americans may be a barrier to the nation achieving “herd immunity” against the coronavirus.
“The way we get through this is to achieve herd immunity,” US Food and Drug Administration chief Stephen Hahn said on ABC. “And that means we need to vaccinate a significant number of people in this country, including those who are hesitant.”
