Biden: Americans Won't Be Forced to Get COVID-19 Vaccinations

Democrat Joe Biden on Friday said Americans would not be mandated to get a COVID-19 shot once a vaccine is available.

The statement follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation for Americans to wear a mask anywhere outside their homes.

The CDC said the United States has entered a high-level transmission phase of the virus, as reported by BBC.

The U.S. had reached 2,861 new deaths on Friday and has seen more than 14 million confirmed cases in total. The overall number of deaths due to COVID-19 has now reached 275,000.

Biden said he expected his inauguration to be without a large crowd due to pandemic concerns.

"My guess is there'll still be a platform ceremony but I don't know how it's all going to work out," he said in a report.

Biden on COVID-19 Vaccines

Pfizer's vaccine was reported to be 95 percent effective against COVID-19. Moderna, on the other hand, said its vaccine is 94 percent effective.

Both potential COVID-19 vaccines applied to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to distribute their drugs in the U.S.

The first country to approve the Pfizer vaccine for public use was the United Kingdom.

Vice President Mike Pence said on Friday during his visit to Atlanta's CDC that federal approval for a COVID-19 vaccine could be a week-and-a-half away.

For Biden, he said it would not be necessary to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory.

"I will do everything in my power as president to encourage people to do the right thing and when they do it, demonstrate that it matters," he noted in a BBC report.

Public Trust on Vaccines

Meanwhile, the Pew Research Center reported that 60 percent of Americans are currently prepared to take a COVID-19 vaccine, higher from September's 51 percent who said the same.

Biden earlier told reporters that he would be glad to take a shot in public to raise public trust of coming COVID-19 vaccines.

Aside from Biden, three former presidents, namely Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, also vowed to do the same thing, saying they are ready to be vaccinated publicly.

Biden repeated his calls for Americans to wear a mask for 100 days, which is a measure, combined with vaccine distribution, would cut off deaths.

Biden said he hoped people would then be inclined to say it is "worth the patriotic duty to go ahead and protect other people."

He also revealed his intentions to keep the country's top infectious disease expert in his incoming administration.

Biden said he would want Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to do the same role that he's had for the past administrations.

U.S. COVID-19 Cases

With the quick surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitals are now prioritizing beds for only the most urgent patients.

This leaves patients requiring ICU care to be transferred to another hospital that sometimes lacks technology and staff who are not skilled for the needed care.

More than 14.2 million COVID-19 cases have already been recorded across the United States, with California, Texas, Florida, and Illinois reporting the highest numbers.