Mike Pence will get the COVID vaccine 'imminently' he reveals, despite Donald Trump ruling out White House officials cutting the line
Vice President Mike Pence will get the new coronavirus vaccine within days, he Tuesday – as the White House said unidentified senior officials would do so to instill 'public confidence.'
Pence flew to his home state of Indiana Tuesday to tout the administration's vaccine efforts.
'Be confident that we have cut red tape, but we've cut no corners when it comes to the development of this vaccine,' he said said. 'I look forward in the days ahead to receiving the vaccine myself and do so without hesitation.'
Vice President Mike Pence says he will get the coronavirus vaccine 'in the days ahead'
CNN, citing unnamed sources, said it would likely happen by Friday.
Pence, whose chief of staff and press secretary contracted the coronavirus, has headed the coronavirus task force while multiple outbreaks have occurred at the White House.
Top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci has advised that President Trump, Pence, President-elect Joe Biden, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris all get the vaccine.
The first vaccine shot in a Pfizer rollout went to a nurse in New York on Monday, as health care workers and long-term care residents are first in line. A second vaccine, by Moderna, is seeking emergency approval when an FDA panel meets Thursday.
In Washington, there are already signals about which powerful officials will get the shots first – although Trump shot down a statement this weekend, saying White House aides should get it 'somewhat later in the program.'
Dr. Anthony Fauci wants President-elect Joe Biden to get it
Vice President-elect Harris also should get it, Fauci said
Fauci advises Trump get the vaccine despite contracting COVID-19 in October
It was not immediately clear when Trump would get it. He has said he would take it. But the president has already had the coronavirus and presumably has antibodies that offer protection.
'The President, currently at this moment, has said he is absolutely open to taking the vaccine,' said White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. 'He's been emphatic about that to me privately and to you all publicly. But he did recently recover from COVID. He has the continued protective effects of the monoclonal antibody cocktail that I mentioned, and he will receive the vaccine as soon as his medical team determines it's best. But his priority is frontline workers, those in long-term care facilities, and he wants to make sure that the vulnerable get access first,' she said.
Trump took the experimental cocktail while hospitalized at Walter Reed after contracting the virus.
President Donald Trump will be 'encouraging' Americans to take the vaccine, said Kayleigh McEnany
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said unidentified senior officials would get the vaccine publicly to instill confidence in it. 'I absolutely would be open to taking the vaccine,' said White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany,' who has already had the coronavirus
'There will be some senior administration officials taking it publicly to instill that confidence,' she said.
McEnany said she herself would 'absolutely would be open to taking the vaccine.'
She also said Trump would be 'encouraging' Americans to take it – amid skepticism about vaccines continuing to show up in polling, and Fauci warning about the need to innocculate a sufficient percentage of the population.
'Look, these are vaccines that he oversaw the development of, he has great confidence in. He wants to see all Americans get this vaccine, and he wants to see the most vulnerable among us get it first. But, absolutely, he will be encouraging -- encouraging Americans to take this,' she said.
Fauci called for President-elect Biden, 78, and Vice President-elect Harris to take the vaccine 'as soon as possible'.
'This is a person who very soon will be the President of the United States, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will very soon be the Vice President of the United States,' he told ABC's 'Good Morning America.'
'For security reasons I really feel strongly we should get them vaccinated as soon as we possibly can.
'You want him fully protected as he enters into the presidency in January,' Fauci added.
He said Trump and Pence should get it despite Trump contracting the virus in October.
'If he were asking me I would recommend that he, as well as Vice President Pence. You still want to protect people who are very important to our country right now.
'Even though the President himself was infected and he has likely antibodies... we're not sure how long that protection lasts so to be doubly sure, I would recommend that he get vaccinated as well as the Vice President,' he said.