Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Obama Waffles on Swine Flu Vaccine for First Family

In one of his best (or worst) sidestepping of a direct question President Obama avoided a direct answer to whether or not he and his family would be vaccinated against Swine flu.



WASHINGTON (CNN) — The nation's first family will not get any special dispensation when it comes to the much awaited vaccine for the H1N1 virus, President Obama tells CNN.

Asked about plans for his family's health in an interview that airs Sunday on CNN's State of the Union, the president said he intends to consult with his Health and Human Services Secretary and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


"And whatever they tell me to do, I will do," Obama told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King.


"[H]ere's what I guarantee you," Obama also told King, "We want to get vaccinated. We think it's the right thing to do. We will stand in line like everybody else. And when folks say it's our turn, that's when we'll get it."




The president said high-risk populations for the H1N1 virus — like health care workers, pregnant women — and children will be first in line for vaccinations against the disease, also known as the "swine flu." So he speculated that his two daughters, who are both under the age of 12, would likely get vaccinated before him.


"I suspect that I may come fairly far down the line," Obama said.


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