Trump says he is unlikely to get a Covid-19 vaccine booster shot

“I think I’m in good shape from that point of view—maybe I won’t,” Trump said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. “I’ll look at stuff later. I’m not against it, but it probably isn’t for me.”

The Food and Drug Administration has already authorized additional shots for some people with weakened immune systems. The agency was expected to flag off an additional dose for all three COVID-19 shots administered in the US starting in mid-September. The timetable could be pushed back as regulators need more time to review the data, at least for Moderna Inc and Johnson & Johnson Shots.

The initial booster campaign, federal health officials have said, may include the shots recommended for people over 65 because they are known to be more vulnerable than younger people. Mr Trump is 75 years old.

Mr Trump’s reluctance comes after some Republican office-bearers over the summer urged supporters to vaccinate themselves against the contagion.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell filmed a public service announcement last month in which he encouraged fellow Kentuckians to get the vaccine. 2 Republican in the House, Steve Scalis of Louisiana, received his first dose in July.

The push comes with the growth of the Delta coronavirus variant nationwide, which has taxed hospital systems and the medical profession. The rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations has had a huge impact on unaffiliated Americans, which polls have shown are predominantly Republican voters.

According to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll conducted August 26-31, about 19% of American adults said they do not intend to be vaccinated. It was down 5 percentage points in a month in the same survey.

Among Republicans, 37% of respondents said they would continue to decline vaccination. This compared with 5% of Democrats and 17% of independents who said they would not get vaccinated.

The poll also showed strong support for boosters: 81% of fully vaccinated Americans said they would get a booster shot, while 19% said they weren’t sure. About 62% of eligible Americans were fully vaccinated as of Friday.

Mr Trump has encouraged his supporters to get vaccinated. He was briefly booed at a rally in Alabama last month after urging spectators to take the shot.

“I absolutely believe in your freedom,” Trump said at a rally in Kalman, Ala., about 50 miles north of Birmingham. “You have to do what you have to do, but I recommend: Take vaccines. I did. . It’s good.”