White House staffers to receive early access to coronavirus vaccine

White House staffers will be among the first Americans to receive coronavirus vaccines, a Trump administration official said on Sunday.

"Senior officials across all three branches of government will receive vaccinations pursuant to continuity of government protocols established in executive policy," National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot said in a statement. An administration official told The Washington Post the White House considers a vaccine "a necessary resource for those continuity personnel across the executive branch to meet their continuity-focused roles and responsibilities."

President Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and Trump aide Hope Hicks tested positive for the coronavirus after the White House hosted a super-spreader event in the Rose Garden in late September. Several other White House staffers and people close to Trump have also been infected, including senior adviser Stephen Miller and former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway. Despite public health experts urging Americans not to attend gatherings amid the pandemic, the White House has still hosted several indoor holiday parties this season.

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The first U.S. shipments of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine left a Michigan facility on Sunday. Vice President Mike Pence is expected to receive the vaccine soon; when asked, the White House would not say whether Trump will get one.