ATLANTA — A day after America witnessed its worst day in coronavirus-related deaths, Jimmy Carter joined three other living former presidents Thursday in encouraging Americans to get a COVID-19 vaccination shot as soon as it becomes available.
In a statement, Carter, 96, said that he and his wife, Rosalynn, “are in full support of COVID-19 vaccine efforts and encourage everyone who is eligible to get immunized as soon as it becomes available in their communities.”
Rosalynn Carter, who is 93, was a staunch advocate for vaccines as Georgia’s first lady and subsequently co-founded Vaccinate Your Family in 1991 to ensure equitable access to immunizations.
Earlier Thursday, former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama all agreed to get vaccinated — in front of television cameras if they had to — to instill confidence in Americans who have watched more than 270,000 people in the country die from the coronavirus.
As of Sunday, more than 282,000 Americans have died of COVID-19, a grim record. But in a November Gallup poll, 42% of Americans said they didn’t plan to receive a coronavirus vaccine.
Earlier this week, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisers voted 13-1 to recommend that health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities be first in line for any coronavirus vaccines that get emergency authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
