Biden to Receive COVID-19 Vaccination as Early as Next Week

White House Announces "Pence to Publicly Receive Vaccine on the 18th"

President-elect Joe Biden [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Joe Biden, the President-elect of the United States, is scheduled to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as early as next week, CNN and other media reported on the 16th (local time), citing officials from the presidential transition team.

According to the report, Biden stated at an event introducing Pete Buttigieg, the nominee for Secretary of Transportation, held in Wilmington, Delaware, that his transition team is preparing a plan for COVID-19 vaccination. He said, "I don't want to cut in line," but added, "I just want to show Americans that the vaccine is safe." Although he did not specify the exact timing of his vaccination, transition team officials later indicated that it could be as early as next week.

In the United States, this week, COVID-19 vaccinations developed jointly by the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer and the German company BioNTech began for healthcare workers and elderly residents in long-term care facilities. However, as concerns about the vaccine grew, Biden has repeatedly stated his intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine publicly. At 78 years old, he belongs to a high-risk group for COVID-19 infection. The day before, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also said that for security reasons, he believes Biden should receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the White House announced that Vice President Mike Pence will also receive the COVID-19 vaccine on the 18th. The White House stated that Vice President Pence and his wife will publicly receive the vaccine at the White House to promote the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine and build trust among Americans.

In addition to President-elect Biden and Vice President Pence, former presidents Barack Obama, George Bush, and Bill Clinton had previously announced on the 2nd that they would publicly receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.