Fauci says Biden, Harris, Trump, and Pence should get vaccinated soon

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said Tuesday during a Good Morning America interview that he feels "really strongly" that, "for security reasons," President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect should get vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as possible. "You want [Biden] fully protected as he enters into the presidency in January," Fauci said.

He also believes President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence should receive a shot. Though he didn't specify when — Fauci told The Washington Post the White House has not asked for his advice on the matter — his comments did suggest it should happen while they're in office. Trump, who has recovered from a bout with the coronavirus in October, has said he'll get vaccinated "at the appropriate time," but that will likely be "somewhat later in the program." Fauci, though, argued that while Trump probably has protection from his infection, it's still unclear how long that will last, and "you still want to protect people who are very important to our country right now."

Having political leaders cut in line, so to speak, would seemingly cause controversy since health care workers and long-term care facility residents are widely seen as the two groups that should be inoculated in the initial stages when there's a limited supply of doses, but others have made the case there's no doubt vaccinating constitutional officers, at least, should be a priority. Tim O'Donnell

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up