Former US presidents, except Donald Trump, teamed up to urge Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in a video message. In the video, Jimmy Carter, George W Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama — and the former first ladies — can be seen taking jabs. The video was released on Thursday with an aim to endorse the US vaccination campaign.
“This vaccine means hope,” Obama says. “It will protect you and those you love from this dangerous and deadly disease.” Obama goes on to say he misses seeing former first lady Michelle Obama’s 83-year-old mother Marian — “to hug her and see her on her birthday.”
Also read: Biden to announce next phase of COVID-19 response in his maiden primetime address to US
“I want to go back to work and be able to move around,” Clinton says in the ad. Bush says he cannot wait to go see his baseball team, the Texas Rangers, play in a packed stadium.
“In order to get rid of this pandemic, it is important for our citizens to get vaccinated,” Bush adds.
Also Read| Five things to know about the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine
The video features stills of all eight former residents of the White House getting Covid shots. Absent from it all are Trump and former first lady Melania. Trump was famously dismissive of the danger of the pandemic.
He and his wife got vaccinated in January before leaving the White House but this was not disclosed for weeks.