Vice President Mike Pence will publicly receive a Covid-19 vaccine on Friday, and President-elect Joe Biden is expected to get a shot as soon as next week. Pence, who is the head of the White House coronavirus task force, is hoping to “promote the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and build confidence among the American people,” the White House said in a statement on Wednesday. His wife, Karen Pence, and Surgeon General Jerome Adams will receive the vaccine at Friday’s event, set to take place at the White House.
Meanwhile a transition official said that Biden is expected to receive the vaccine as soon as next week. Biden told reporters earlier Wednesday in Wilmington, Delaware, “I don’t want to get ahead of the line, but I want to make sure we demonstrate to the American people that it is safe to take. When I do it, I’ll do it publicly so you can all witness my getting it done.”
The decision to receive the vaccine in public is critical in the fight against Covid-19 as health care officials have faced skepticism by some about the safety of the vaccine. Health care workers across the United States were among the first Americans to get the federally-approved coronavirus vaccine this week.
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