Vice President Mike Pence. Photo: SOPA Images / Getty Images
Vice President Mike Pence plans to receive his coronavirus vaccine shot on camera Friday morning at the White House to build "vaccine confidence" among the American people, according to an administration official with direct knowledge of the plans.
Driving the news: Details are still being worked out, but Pence wants the TV networks to carry the moment live in the morning, the source said, to maximize the audience for the vaccination.
- The vice president, who has led the White House coronavirus task force, will be joined by second lady Karen Pence and Surgeon General Jerome Adams.
- The surgeon general is one of the highest ranking African American officials in the U.S. government and has been trying to instill vaccine confidence in communities of color.
- Adams plans to appear in a town hall later this week as part of his vaccine outreach to African Americans, the source added.
By the numbers: As Axios' Margaret Talev reported, "The share of Americans who say they'll get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it's available has doubled since September, with more than one in four now putting their hands up, per the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.
- "Overall, 27% of respondents in Wave 33 of our weekly national poll say they plan to get the vaccine as soon as it's available to them, up from 13% in September. Another 11% say they'll get it a few weeks after; 25% say a few months after; and 15% say they'll wait a year or longer.
- "40% of Americans ages 65+ now say they'll take it as soon as it's available — a big jump from just 15% three months earlier."
The other side: "29% of Black Americans, 26% of Republicans and 21% of overall respondents say they don't plan to get the vaccine no matter how much time passes," Talev reported.