Former president Donald Trump’s office revealed Monday that he received a coronavirus vaccine at the White House in January, the first time his advisers have acknowledged his inoculation.
Trump and former first lady Melania Trump, who both tested positive for the virus in the fall, received vaccines at some point before their final departure from the White House on Jan. 20, though a staffer did not specify the exact date or type of vaccine they received.
News of Trump’s vaccination comes one day after he encouraged a crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference to get vaccinated, a message he often avoided when he was president.
“Everybody, go get your shot,” he said.
Johnson & Johnson began distributing its one-shot vaccine Monday morning, giving the country three effective tools to combat the pandemic. It comes at a crucial time, with new infections on the rise once again. So far, 15 percent of the population has received at least one vaccine shot.