White House testing czar says Trump should get vaccine to boost public confidence

Adm. Brett Giroir, the White House’s testing czar, said on Sunday that he would encourage President Trump to get the coronavirus vaccine in public in order to boost confidence among his followers.

“I would encourage the president to get a vaccine for his own health and safety, and also to generate more confidence among the people who follow him so closely,” Giroir told ABC News host George Stephanopoulos on “This Week.”

NEW: “I would encourage the president to get a vaccine for his own health and safety and also to generate more confidence among the people who follow him so closely,” Adm. Brett Giroir of the White House COVID-19 task force tells @GStephanopoulos. https://t.co/3DLfDf3VVJ pic.twitter.com/9TGRCbEpme

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) December 20, 2020

Late last week, Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen Pence received the Pfizer vaccine publicly. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are scheduled to publicly receive the vaccine this week.

“I think leadership, like the vice president, the Surgeon General, you know, should get vaccines because they will inspire confidence with the people who believe in them and trust them. And again, we have every reason to believe that this vaccine — these two vaccines — are very effective and they are safe,” Giroir said on Sunday.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Moderna vaccine on Friday and its first shipments are being prepared for delivery. 

Though Trump is in the high-risk category due to his age, he has already contracted the virus and recovered, likely developing antibodies to the virus.

Health experts have said that those who have contracted the virus should receive the vaccine anyway as the immunity provided by COVID-19 antibodies has not been well studied yet and the vaccine could prevent a second infection. More severe symptoms have been observed in those who have been reinfected with the coronavirus.