Top US government authorities, including a few White House officials who work in close proximity to President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, will be offered COVID vaccines as soon as this week, according to ABC News.
The public distribution of the vaccine is limited to frontline health workers and long-term nursing home residents and employees.
On Friday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.
The doses of the vaccine will be made available to people who work in close proximity to the nation’s top leaders, said two people familiar with the matter. They explained that this move was meant to prevent the spread of the virus in the White House, which has already experienced several outbreaks, infecting Trump and other top officials.
The officials said the Trump administration has been undertaking the vaccination program under federal continuity of government plans.
National Security Council spokesperson John Ulyot said, “Senior officials across all three branches of government will receive vaccinations pursuant to continuity of government protocols established in executive policy.”
“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,” he added.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires two doses administered 21 days apart, meaning the Trump administration officials would receive the second dose just weeks before leaving office.
President-elect Joe Biden’s aides have been discussing when and how he should receive the COVID vaccine. They have been working to establish plans to boost virus safeguards in the West Wing to keep Biden healthy.
Lawmakers have not yet informed how many doses would be made available to them, according to a Capitol Hill official, adding “it would be premature to speculate who might receive them.”
The official spoke on condition of anonymity and was not authorized to discuss the details in public. Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press writer, contributed to this report from Washington. The New York Times first reported the news.
