President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris should be vaccinated for COVID-19 “as soon as we possibly can” for security reasons, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease specialist, said Tuesday.
“We want him fully protected as he enters the presidency in January. So that would be my strong recommendation,” Fauci, who has been asked to remain chief medical adviser during the White House transition, said on “Good Morning America.”
Fauci also recommended vaccinations for outgoing President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
“You still want to protect people who are very important to our country right now,” he said.
Trump was hospitalized for the coronavirus in early October and therefore likely has antibodies against further infection, but “we’re not sure how long that protection lasts,” Fauci said.
The White House said last week that senior U.S. officials, including White House aides who work in close proximity to Trump and Pence, would be offered the vaccine as early as this week. Trump on Sunday nixed the plans, saying those working in the White House would receive the vaccine “somewhat later in the program.”
The first vaccinations with the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine were administered to Americans on Monday. The initial shots are earmarked for health care workers and nursing home residents.
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