Obama, Bush and Clinton volunteer to take coronavirus vaccine live on air to promote jab as 42% say they WON’T take it

BARACK Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have all volunteered to get the coronavirus vaccine live on air to promote the jab.

The move from the three former US Presidents comes as 42percent of people have said they WON’T take a shot – even after it’s been given the green light by the FDA.

Speaking with Sirius XM‘s Urban View in an interview that’s set to air on Thursday, Obama said he would volunteer to get the jab on-air.

“I may end up taking it on TV or having it filmed, just so that people know that I trust this science, and what I don’t trust is getting Covid,” Obama said.

He said he trusts health experts like Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci “completely” to approve a safe Covid-19 shot.

 “If Anthony Fauci tells me this vaccine is safe, and can vaccinate, you know, immunize you from getting Covid, absolutely, I’m going to take it,” Obama said.

Bush’s chief of staff Freddy Ford, told CNN that the 43rd president reached out to top coronavirus docs Dr. Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx to see how he could promote the vaccine.

“First, the vaccines need to be deemed safe and administered to the priority populations,” Ford told CNN.

“Then, President Bush will get in line for his, and will gladly do so on camera.”

Clinton’s press secretary Angel Urena also told CNN that once a shot is available, the former president will “definitely” get a shot.

“And he will do it in a public setting if it will help urge all Americans to do the same,” Urena added.

The former US Presidents’ willingness to get a jab and encourage others comes as many Americans are hesitant.

According to a Gallup poll published in mid-November, 58percent of Americans said they would be willing to get a vaccine.

The 42percent of respondents who said they would not get a shot is a decline from a 50-50 split in mid-September.

With two-fifths of respondents saying they were hesitant to get the jab, however, it proves possible obstacles for health experts who are pushing for widespread rollout in an effort to get the pandemic under control.

On Wednesday, the US saw its deadliest day, and broke record counts for new daily cases, total hospitalizations, and deaths in a single day.

As total cases near 14million, Pfizer and Moderna have both applied for emergency FDA approval of their vaccines.

Pfizer is set to have a public hearing on December 10, while Moderna will have theirs on December 17.

If given the green light, the companies may start vaccine rollout within just days of their hearings.

Health officials will be forced to ration shots, however, as the number of vaccines will be limited in early months and officials will be forced to determine who is highest priority to recieve them.