Pence, Biden both will receive vaccine soon
WASHINGTON – Vice President Mike Pence is set to receive a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus Friday, while President-elect Joe Biden is expected to be vaccinated as soon as next week.
Pence and second lady Karen Pence will receive the vaccine at the White House. Pence’s office said they will get the shot “publicly” to promote the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and “build confidence among the American people.”
The Pences will be joined by Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who also will get the vaccine, Pence’s office said.
A Biden transition official confirmed the president-elect's potential timeline for the vaccine. CNN reported Biden is likely to be vaccinated early next week.
Their plans come after health care workers across the U.S. were the first to receive a shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine Monday, as COVID-19 cases are rising nationwide. More than 300,000 Americans have died of the virus.
President Donald Trump has not announced plans to take the vaccine, which the federal government intends to help distribute through Operation Warp Speed, the $10 billion effort to accelerate the production and distribution of a coronavirus vaccine.
Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have said they are willing to get a coronavirus vaccine publicly – perhaps filming it – to prove the treatment is safe and effective.
Biden, who also has said he wants to take the vaccine publicly, told reporters Wednesday that he doesn't want to cut ahead of higher-priority recipients.