Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday he plans to receive his coronavirus vaccine in public so that people can feel confident about the U.S. government’s vaccination program.
The infectious disease expert and White House Coronavirus Task Force member discussed his intentions ahead of regulators expected to approve a vaccine as soon as Friday evening, The New York Times reported.
Dr. Fauci, 79 said he intends to “get vaccinated publicly, in the public space, so that people can see me getting vaccinated,” as soon as “the vaccine becomes available to me,” The Times reported.
The head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases added that precisely when he is vaccinated would be up to Alex M. Azar, President Trump’s secretary of health, the report said.
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to imminently authorize the emergency use of a vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech, likely making it the first of its kind available in the country.
“We could be seeing people getting vaccinated Monday, Tuesday of next week,” Mr. Azar said Friday on ABC’s “Good Morning America” program.
More than 15 million people in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19, the contagious disease caused by the novel coronavirus, since the first domestic cases were confirmed in January.
A vaccine could prove critical in combating and even curbing the global coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 1.5 million people worldwide, including nearly 294,000 people in the U.S.
Skepticism and distrust may result in Americans refusing vaccinations that could otherwise save their life, however, creating a need for Mr. Fauci and others of his ilk to demonstrate their safety.
Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton each recently said they are willing to be vaccinated on camera once a vaccine is approved to promote confidence in its safety.
The Washington Post and CNN each reported Friday that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn to approve the vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech within hours or resign.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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