Former U.S. Presidents Obama, Bush, Clinton willing to take coronavirus vaccine on camera

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Former U.S. Presidents Obama, Bush, Clinton willing to take coronavirus vaccine on camera

By Steve Holland and Daniel Trotta

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Barack Obama (C) is joined by former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush (L) and Bill Clinton (R) in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington while speaking about disaster aid to Haiti, January 16, 2010. REUTERS/Larry Downing/File Photo

 

(Reuters) - Former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton said they were willing to be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus on television in order to ease any public skepticism over the safety of new vaccines.

 

"I may end up taking it on TV or having it filmed, just so that people know that I trust this science," Obama, a Democrat who left the White House in 2017, said in an interview with Sirius XM radio that aired on Wednesday.

 

Bush, a Republican and Obama's predecessor, is willing to get a vaccine on camera once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration grants emergency approval, according to Freddy Ford, Bush's chief of staff.

 

Clinton, a Democrat, will "definitely take a vaccine as soon as available to him, based on the priorities determined by public health officials," his spokesman, Angel Urena, wrote in an email. "And he will do it in a public setting if it will help urge all Americans to do the same."

 

An FDA panel of outside advisers is due to meet on Dec. 10 to discuss whether to recommend emergency use authorization of a vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc with German partner BioNTech shown to be 95% effective at preventing illness. U.S. health officials predict the first inoculations could start days or weeks later.

 

Former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton said they were willing to be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus on television in order to ease any public skepticism over the safety of new vaccines. Freddie Joyner has more.

 

Moderna Inc's vaccine, which employs similar technology as Pfizer's and was nearly 95% effective in its pivotal trial, is expected to be reviewed a week later.

 

A significant minority of Americans are skeptical of the science behind vaccinations and wary of the record speed at which COVID-19 vaccines have been developed, although 58% of Americans told Gallup pollsters last month they would get a coronavirus vaccine, up from 50% in September.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump, a Republican who recovered from a bout with COVID-19 earlier this year, has touted his administration's involvement in funding some vaccine development, but the White House did not immediately respond to questions about his predecessor's comments on Thursday.

 

The office of Vice President Mike Pence referred reporters to earlier interviews in which Pence said he would be "proud to take a vaccine the moment that it's available."

 

Ivanka Trump, Trump's eldest daughter and a senior White House adviser, said in September she would be willing to receive a vaccine on the ABC talk show "The View."

 

"I applaud these pronouncements to help assure the public that the vaccine is safe and effective," she wrote on Twitter on Thursday in response to news reports about the former presidents' pledge. "My offer holds to do the same."

 

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would likely take a vaccine as soon as one is available, though after those who need it first have access to it, like front-line workers, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday.

 

Asked if Guterres might take the vaccine publicly, Dujarric said: "We'll see if he does it publicly. I don't know if you want to see him take off his shirt publicly."

 

(Reporting by Steve Holland in Washington and Daniel Trotta; Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols in New York; Writing by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-04

 

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[teacherclaire 1,860]

I'm impressed. Trump doesn't need one, but wait. Perhaps he didn't have COVID ?

 

   The problem with liars is that they never tell the truth. Let's go and play golf. 

[Scott 16,134]

Troll post reported and removed.

 

[bkk6060 13,104]

What ever you may think of their politics they are human beings who have made mistakes of course.

But, good for them for stepping up on this hope it is all successful for them and the world.

[Tug 21,492]

Hey can I get one to?good for them showing solidarity and leadership 

[Jeffr2 8,222]

True leaders.  Unlike the current POTUS.

[JonnyF 13,434]

What do they want? A medal? 

 

Besides, who knows what they're being injected with. Could be a vitamin shot for all we know. It's not like these 3 are the bastions of truth, what with Clinton's Lewinski denial and Bush's WMD lies. Wouldn't trust any of them as far as I could throw them. 

[mr mr 5,628]

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

What do they want? A medal? 

 

Besides, who knows what they're being injected with. Could be a vitamin shot for all we know. It's not like these 3 are the bastions of truth, what with Clinton's Lewinski denial and Bush's WMD lies. Wouldn't trust any of them as far as I could throw them. 

 

i did not have relations with that vaccine. now watch this drive. 

[JonnyF 13,434]

7 hours ago, teacherclaire said:

I'm impressed. Trump doesn't need one, but wait. Perhaps he didn't have COVID ?

 

   The problem with liars is that they never tell the truth. Let's go and play golf. 

Clinton would never lie.

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by onthedarkside
photo removed

[placeholder 7,333]

5 hours ago, JonnyF said:

What do they want? A medal? 

 

Besides, who knows what they're being injected with. Could be a vitamin shot for all we know. It's not like these 3 are the bastions of truth, what with Clinton's Lewinski denial and Bush's WMD lies. Wouldn't trust any of them as far as I could throw them. 

 

5 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Clinton would never lie.

 

 

I take absolutely no credit for predicting in another thread that this would be the kind of response to expect from the covid denialists. Thank you Ivan Pavlov.

[placeholder 7,333]

3 minutes ago, mr mr said:

 

i did not have relations with that vaccine. now watch this drive. 

English translation, please.

[JonnyF 13,434]

11 minutes ago, placeholder said:

 

I take absolutely no credit for predicting in another thread that this would be the kind of response to expect from the covid denialists. Thank you Ivan Pavlov.

 

A strawman argument, and not a very good one either .

 

I am not a COVID denier and I am not anti vaccine. I simply do not trust any of these 3 individuals. I'm afraid you're going to have to criticize something else that I have never said .

[Jeffr2 8,222]

17 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

A strawman argument, and not a very good one either .

 

I am not a COVID denier and I am not anti vaccine. I simply do not trust any of these 3 individuals. I'm afraid you're going to have to criticize something else that I have never said .

Placeholder is spot on.  We're in a tough situation and all you can do is bash these guys.  They're not perfect, but at least they are stepping up.  Congrats to them.

[Scott 16,134]

Troll post reported and removed.

 

[JonnyF 13,434]

4 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Placeholder is spot on.  We're in a tough situation and all you can do is bash these guys.  They're not perfect, but at least they are stepping up.  Congrats to them.

He's not spot on at all. I am not a COVID denier and I am not anti vax. So he's the complete opposite of 'spot on'. He's completely wrong.

 

If someone who took his countrymen to war in Iraq on the basis of a lie (Bush) having a vaccine gives you the courage you need to have it too, that's great. If you look up to people that like for advice on big decisions, that's on you. For most people, they are intelligent enough to make their own minds up without doing something because Bill Clinton did it.