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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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. 

Troll post reported and removed.

 

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.

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

True leaders.  Unlike the current POTUS.

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. 

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. 

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, 20205 yr by onthedarkside
photo removed

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.

3 minutes ago, mr mr said:

 

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

English translation, please.

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 ????.

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.

Troll post reported and removed.

 

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.

I'm sure they'll thank President Trump for Operation Warp Speed

19 minutes ago, watso63 said:

I'm sure they'll thank President Trump for Operation Warp Speed

Which wouldn't have been necessary if he wouldn't have lied about the severity of the virus and shut out medical experts. 

17 minutes ago, watso63 said:

I'm sure they'll thank President Trump for Operation Warp Speed

Anything positive that comes out of the Biden administration is guaranteed to be accompanied by a DT statement claiming he should get credit for it.

Don't mention the body count.

 

 

Leadership.

 

Do as I do, not as I say.

 

It's almost shocking to witness real leadership, especially after that 46 minute rant yesterday.

 

 

 

 

 

37 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

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.

Trump is proof there are many that blindly will do what leaders do, no masks. So yes, this is a good thing.

 

i wish i could take it so soon but unfortunately i will have to wait.

1 hour 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 ????.

You would have to come up with a plausible reason for them not to take it. Which reason should be difficult for you to come up with since you claim not to be an anti-vaxxer.

2 minutes ago, placeholder said:

You would have to come up with a plausible reason for them not to take it. Which reason should be difficult for you to come up with since you claim not to be an anti-vaxxer.

I wouldn't take anything like it before Jan. 20th.   Wait until we get some genuine health authorities back into the gov't.

 

 

6 minutes ago, bendejo said:

I wouldn't take anything like it before Jan. 20th.   Wait until we get some genuine health authorities back into the gov't.

I saw an interview with the CEO of BioNTech, maker of one of the jabs.  He says what's out right now will be refined and modified over the coming months.  Hopefully, it will be modified to be able to transport at room temp.

 

But as he says, as for long term effects from this jab, we won't know for some time.

 

This mRNA tech is really impressive.  SciFi stuff.

4 hours ago, watso63 said:

I'm sure they'll thank President Trump for Operation Warp Speed

 

The Pfizer vaccine that's likely to be the first distributed in the U.S. was developed without development support from OWS.

 

Quote

Pfizer did not accept federal funding to help develop or manufacture the vaccine, unlike front-runners Moderna and AstraZeneca.

 

Quote

In July, Pfizer got a $1.95 billion deal with the government’s Operation Warp Speed, the multiagency effort to rush a vaccine to market, to deliver 100 million doses of the vaccine. The arrangement is an advance-purchase agreement, meaning that the company won’t get paid until they deliver the vaccines.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/health/was-the-pfizer-vaccine-part-of-the-governments-operation-warp-speed.html

 

Edited December 4, 20205 yr by TallGuyJohninBKK

5 hours 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 ????.

So you would trust....Trump?  If not these 3 dudes, tell us who you would trust.  Honest question.

Troll comment removed.

Operation Warp Speed! 

 

Thank you President Trump!

5 hours ago, placeholder said:

You would have to come up with a plausible reason for them not to take it. Which reason should be difficult for you to come up with since you claim not to be an anti-vaxxer.

I think you must be confusing me with someone else.

 

I need a plausible reason for what? For who not to take it? Your whole post is gibberish ????.

1 hour ago, Berkshire said:

So you would trust....Trump?  If not these 3 dudes, tell us who you would trust.  Honest question.

No I wouldn't trust Trump.

 

I would look at the test data and then decide for myself. I trust my own judgement.

These are not the people that I look to for moral directives.

Quite the opposite actually.