Trump is conspicuously absent from the list of public figures getting a coronavirus vaccine soon

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Trump is conspicuously absent from the list of public figures getting a coronavirus vaccine soon
Donald Trump on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington DC, on December 12, 2020.REUTERS/Cheriss May/File Photo
  • President Donald Trump is yet to set a date for his coronavirus vaccination, as other politicians are booking their slots.
  • Vice President Mike Pence; his wife, Karen; and US Surgeon General Jerome Adams are set to be vaccinated on TV on Friday, and President-elect Joe Biden is reportedly set to be vaccinated early next week.
  • The former presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush have all committed to getting the vaccine live on TV to boost public confidence in the shot.
  • Though Trump has said he is keen to get a vaccine, he has not set any date to do it or said whether he will do it on TV.
  • On Sunday, Trump abruptly canceled a mass-vaccination plan for White House officials.
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President Donald Trump is noticeably absent from the growing list of politicians, former presidents, and public figures setting a date to receive the coronavirus vaccine.

On Friday, a drug created by Pfizer and BioNTech became the first COVID-19 vaccine to be receive emergency authorization for use in the US by the Food and Drug Administration.

Since then, a large number of US political personalities have committed to getting the vaccine. Though Trump has indicated he plans to get a vaccine, he has prevaricated and has yet to put a date on it.

In contrast, numerous influential figures have booked their slots, as the US government simultaneously launches a $250 million plan to normalize the vaccine, amid fears over disinformation campaigns that might discourage people from getting inoculated.

Those who have committed include:

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  • Joe Biden, who is expected to get the vaccine sometime between December 21 and December 23, CNN reported. Biden said Wednesday that "when I do it, I'll do it publicly."
  • Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, will be injected live on TV on Friday to boost "vaccine confidence," according to Axios.
  • Barack Obama said on December 2 that he would get the vaccine live on TV.
  • Bill Clinton will get the shot live on TV, his press secretary, Angel Urena, told CNN on December 2.
  • George W. Bush has expressed willingness for a public inoculation, Freddy Ford, Bush's chief of staff, told CNN on December 3.

Trump tweeted on Monday that he would get the shot, but he did not set a date.

"I am not scheduled to take the vaccine, but look forward to doing so at the appropriate time," he wrote.

On Wednesday, CNN reported that the reason Trump had not yet received the vaccine was that he wanted to wait until it's recommended by the White House medical team.

An official told CNN that Trump was still experiencing the effects of the "antibody cocktail" he was given after testing positive for COVID-19 on October 2.

Trump is yet to say whether he is willing to get vaccinated on TV, though a White House official told the Daily Mail on December 7 that he was willing but that it might not be needed because he already caught the virus.

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Trump on Sunday abruptly canceled a plan that would have seen White House officials start to get shots of Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine as soon as this past Monday. "People working in the White House should receive the vaccine somewhat later in the program, unless specifically necessary," Trump tweeted.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious-disease expert in the US, said Tuesday that Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris should get vaccinated immediately "for security reasons."

A poll of Americans conducted by Gallup released on December 8 found that 63% said they'd take an FDA-approved vaccine. (The technical term for the FDA's clearance of Pfizer and BioNTech's shot is an emergency-use authorization.)

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