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Updated March 15th, 2021 at 09:48 IST

Anthony Fauci appeals to Trump on vaccines; asks former US President to convince followers

Anthony Fauci said on Sunday that he wishes to see former President Donald Trump use his popularity to persuade his followers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Reported by: Swagata Banerjee
Anthony Fauci
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US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Sunday that he wishes to see former President Donald Trump use his popularity among Republicans to persuade more of his followers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Health expert expressed regret over polling showing that Trump supporters are more likely to refuse to get vaccinated, saying politics needs to be separated from “commonsense, no-brainer” public health measures. Fauci said it would be a game-changer for the country's vaccine efforts if the former President used his “incredible influence” among Republicans.

“If he came out and said, go and get vaccinated, It's really important for your health, the health of your family and the health of the country,' it seems absolutely inevitable that the vast majority of people who are his close followers would listen to him,” Fauci told an American news channel on Sunday. 

Donald And Melania Trump Received COVID-19 Vaccine

In January, several US broadcasters reported former US President Donald Trump received the COVID-19 vaccination in private ahead of leaving the White House. A Trump adviser reportedly revealed that the former first lady Melania Trump and other officials under the Trump administration also got jabbed before exiting the office, although it remains unclear which vaccine they were administered and whether or not they got the second dose. Unlike the officials in the Biden administration who chose to get vaccinated publicly on LIVE TV in order to encourage the citizens to get vaccinated, the ex-American leader got immunized confidentially, despite saying in December, last year, that he would stay away from vaccine unless he was recommended by his White House medical team. 

President Joe Biden, meanwhile, proactively took his first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as he told the American people that it was “extremely safe to take it”. His inoculation was followed by former Vice President Mike Pence, who made an exception on the Trump team by taking the shot LIVE. Trump, who has recovered from COVID-19, has nonetheless attempted to take credit for the vaccines being available at all, crediting the 'Operation Warp Speed' his administration had launched to search for a vaccine, which Trump claims shaved off 5 years from the time it would have normally taken.

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Published March 15th, 2021 at 09:48 IST

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