Dr. Anthony Fauci (left) and President Donald Trump.Photo: Alex Wong/Getty; Doug MIlls/The New York Times/Pool/Getty
Dr.Anthony Fauciis calling onDonald Trumpto urge his supporters to get vaccinated forCOVID-19.Fauci, 80,toldFox News Sundaythat if Trump, 74, spoke out and told his supporters to go get a vaccine, that “it would really be a game changer” in the country’s recovery.COVID-19 has killed 534,476 people in the U.S. and infected 29.4 million, according to aNew York Timestracker.
APBS poll released last weekshowed that 49% of Republican men say they don’t intend to get the vaccine.
“I don’t understand where that’s coming from. This is not a political issue,” the physician said. “I just don’t get it.”
President Donald Trump looks on as Dr. Anthony Fauci addresses the media during a coronavirus task force briefing on April 10, 2020.Evan Vucci/AP/Shutterstock
Every other living former presidenthas spoken outabout the importance of getting vaccinated for COVID-19.Last week, former PresidentsBarack Obama,George W. BushandBill Clintonjoined former First LadiesMichelle Obama,Laura BushandHillary Clintonin a public service announcement promoting vaccinations.Trump and former First Lady MelaniaTrumpdid not participate in the PSA. The Trumps did, however,privately get vaccinatedin January at the White House and made no public mention of it.
“He’s a very widely popular person among Republicans,” Fauci said. “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 your country,’ it seems absolutely inevitable that the vast majority of people who are his close followers would listen to him.”
“It would be very helpful to the effort for that to happen,” added Fauci, the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Fauci said even more Americans would seek out a vaccine if Trump encouraged them to do so.“He’s such a strongly popular person,” Fauci said. “I cannot imagine that if he comes out that they would not get vaccinated.”
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source: people.com
