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Two people familiar with the matter confirmed that the newly approved vaccine from Pfizer will be made available to those who work in close quarters with the nation”s top elected officials. They said the move was meant to prevent more COVID-19 spread in the White House, which has already suffered from several outbreaks of the virus that infected Trump and other top officials.
The two people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The New York Times first reported the news.
It was not immediately clear how many officials would be offered the vaccine initially and whether Trump or Pence would get it. The move would be consistent with the rollout of rapid testing machines for the coronavirus, which were similarly controlled by the federal government with kits reserved to protect the White House complex and other critical facilities.
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The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses administered three weeks apart, meaning Trump administration officials would receive the final shot just weeks before leaving office.
The Trump administration”s vaccination plan could prove to be a boon for his successor, as aides to President-elect Joe Biden have been discussing when and how he should receive the vaccine and working to establish plans to boost virus safeguards in the West Wing to keep the 78-year-old Democrat healthy.