Trump and Melania received the COVID-19 vaccine in January, without publicly announcing it
Former President Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump quietly received the COVID-19 vaccine at the White House in January, a Trump adviser told NBC News on Monday.
It is unclear what type of vaccine they received and it was not disclosed at the time by the White House.
This news was first reported by The New York Times.
Trump, who spent months publicly minimizing the impact of the virus and avoiding the use of masks, announced in October that he had tested positive for COVID-19. The first lady also tested positive, but both later recovered.
During his treatment, Trump received a cocktail of experimental antibodies. The CDC recommends that patients wait at least 90 days after receiving treatment before getting vaccinated.
The former president, whose administration was criticized for his vaccine launch plan, boasted during a speech Sunday at the Conservative Political Action Conference about how he pressured officials to develop the vaccine under Operation Warp Speed. He also urged attendees to receive the vaccine, although he did not disclose that he received the vaccine.
“We took a risk because if we didn't do it, you still wouldn't have the vaccines. You wouldn't have them for long, "he said. Later, he added," So everyone go get your chance. "
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden publicly received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine in an effort to increase confidence about its safety and efficacy. Three of Trump's predecessors, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, also said they would receive their vaccines in public for the same purpose.
