No sooner did the first vaccines for COVID-19 announce successful results in their clinical trials than a flood of misinformation swept social media—claiming everything from the vaccines being ineffective to their inoculation process as being part of a conspiracy to inject the public with microchips.
Amid a pandemic, such misinformation can cost countless lives—as mass vaccinations are only as effective as the number of people that take them. To counter this flood of misinformation, Facebook has announced that it would block anti-vaxx conspiracy theories. That make false claims from its platform. And three US ex-presidents say they would be willing to take a vaccine on camera if it helps restore public faith in science.
Former president Barack Obama told the Joe Madison Show by SiriusXM, “People like Anthony Fauci, who I know, and I’ve worked with, I trust completely…So, 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.”
also read
- Testifying in hush money trial, porn star Stormy Daniels decribes first meeting with Trump
- Anti-Israel protests: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s ‘Ohio’ doing rounds in US varsities again
- Pro-Palestinian protesters at USC comply with school order to leave their encampment
- Trump hush money trial: Key takeaways from Hope Hicks' testimony
- Who is Andrew Dudum, the CEO offering jobs to anti-Israel student protesters?
“I promise you that when it's been made for people who are less at risk, I will be taking it.“ He added, “I may end up taking it on TV or having it filmed, just so that people know that I trust this science,” Obama said.
George W. Bush’s former chief of staff, Freddy Ford, also told CNN that Bush had reached out to Dr Anthony Fauci to ask how he could help promote the vaccine for COVID-19.
"President Bush asked me to let Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx know that, when the time is right, he wants to do what he can to help encourage his fellow citizens to get vaccinated," Ford told CNN. "First, the vaccines need to be deemed safe and administered to the priority populations. Then, President Bush will get in line for his, and will gladly do so on camera."
And the President who came before Bush, Bill Clinton, has also stated that he would do the same. Clinton’s press secretary told Angel Urena told CNN, “President Clinton will definitely take a vaccine as soon as available to him, based on the priorities determined by public health officials…and he will do it in a public setting if it will help urge all Americans to do the same.”
Incumbent US President Donald Trump has repeatedly tried to take credit for the coronavirus vaccines being developed by American firms performing well in clinical trials during his administration. Two days prior, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters that it was a “tremendous achievement” for the US to have up to 40 million vaccine doses ready by the end of 2020, crediting having a “businessman as president” and calling it the “Trump vaccine”.
Over 280,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, with over 2,000 dying each day—the highest figure anywhere since the pandemic began.
