White House Staffers To Receive Covid Vaccine Ahead Of General Public, Trump Says, 'Not Scheduled To Be Vaccinated'

The Pfizer vaccination for coronavirus is to begin as soon as this week and White house staffers along with outgoing US President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will get the shots ahead of the public.

(FILE Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

President Donald Trump and other top U.S. officials will be offered the newly approved Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine which the drugmaker began to ship nationwide Sunday from its Michigan factory. Those vaccinations, which could begin as soon as this week, would come while the vaccine is in extremely limited supply and only generally available to high-risk health care workers.

The vaccinations will be offered to critical personnel in all three branches of government deemed essential and could start as soon as Monday. The shots will be staggered over the following 10 days to ensure staff don’t experience possible side effects all at the same time.

White House officials should be vaccinated later: US President Donald Trump

 Trump said in a tweet on Sunday, following reports about the plan, that he had directed that top government officials would be vaccinated “somewhat later.” He said he personally is not “scheduled” to be vaccinated.

People working in the White House should receive the vaccine somewhat later in the program, unless specifically necessary. I have asked that this adjustment be made. I am not scheduled to take the vaccine, but look forward to doing so at the appropriate time. Thank you!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2020

National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot confirmed the plan in a statement late Sunday, as reported by CNN. “The American people should have confidence that they are receiving the same safe and effective vaccine as senior officials of the United States government on the advice of public health professionals and national security leadership,” Ullyot said. In general, the first people in the U.S. to get the Pfizer Inc./BioNTech SE vaccine approved on Friday will be health-care workers and vulnerable residents of care homes. Various other groups, from airline workers to teachers to meatpackers, are keen for early access too.

Worry Over Pfizer Covid Vaccine

According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulators, four volunteers who were administered the vaccine shots during the trial stage have developed Bell’s Palsy. The condition causes a temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles in the face. It can occur when the nerve that controls your facial muscles is inflamed, swollen, or compressed. The condition causes one side of your face to droop or to become stiff. This immediately follows the U.K. National Health Service's statement where it cautioned that people with a 'significant' history of allergies should not take Pfizer and BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine after two receivers reported reactions from the shots.