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Cable television broadcasting industry

Prominent Politicians Get COVID-19 Vaccine to Boost Public Confidence

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President Mike Pence, and several other high-profile politicians are publicly receiving the COVID-19 vaccine to reassure the public about its safety and efficacy. This move comes as the Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use, and healthcare workers began receiving the first doses. The effort aims to demonstrate that the vaccine is safe and effective, especially among vulnerable populations. Obama, Bush, and Clinton have already volunteered to get vaccinated on television, with Clinton's press secretary stating that the former president will take the vaccine in a public setting if it will help encourage Americans to do the same.

Key Takeaways:

  • President-elect Joe Biden plans to publicly receive the COVID-19 vaccine to demonstrate its safety to the American people.
  • Vice President Mike Pence is expected to get the coronavirus vaccine on camera on Friday morning to help build "vaccine confidence."
  • Second Lady Karen Pence and Surgeon General Jerome Adams will also join the vice president in receiving the vaccine.
  • Former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton have previously volunteered to receive the vaccine on television to boost public confidence.
  • Biden and Pence are the latest to join a slew of politicians taking the COVID-19 vaccine to demonstrate its safety and efficacy.
  • Obama said he trusts top US infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci and will take the vaccine when it is deemed safe for less at-risk individuals.
  • Biden, Pence, and other politicians will publicly receive the vaccine to reassure the public and encourage vulnerable populations to get vaccinated.

Statistics:

  • The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine last week.
  • Healthcare workers at the front lines were among the first to receive the vaccine.
  • President-elect Joe Biden plans to receive the COVID-19 vaccine early next week, possibly on Tuesday or Wednesday
  • Over 2.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be distributed to the US on Monday, with more to follow.

Sources:

  • CNN (2020-12-16) [CNN reported that the president-elect could get the vaccine early next week](https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/16/politics/biden-vaccination-coronavirus/index.html)
  • Axios (2020-12-16) [Vice President Mike Pence to get coronavirus vaccine on TV to boost confidence](https://www.axios.com/vice-president-mike-pence-televised-vaccine-shot-coronavirus-b185f69c-2080-4631-b40f-efbb8129bd68.html)
  • Business Insider (2020-12-02) [Barack Obama and Bill Clinton will take the COVID-19 vaccine on TV to boost public confidence](https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-vaccine-safety-barack-obama-clinton-bush-film-coronavirus-shots-2020-12)
  • CNN (2020-12-02) [Obama says he trusts Fauci and will take the COVID-19 vaccine](https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/02/politics/obama-vaccine/index.html)
  • Business Insider (2020-12-15) [Politicians getting the coronavirus vaccine on TV to boost public confidence](https://www.businessinsider.com/politicians-getting-coronavirus-shot-on-tv-to-boost-public-confidence-2020-12)

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