Former US presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton are volunteering to take a coronavirus vaccine on camera if it will help promote public confidence.
Mr Obama, in an interview with SiriusXM radio, said he would be inoculated if top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci signs off on a COVID-19 vaccine.
"If Anthony Fauci tells me this vaccine is safe, and can vaccinate, you know, immunise you from getting COVID, absolutely, I'm going to take it," Mr Obama said.
"I promise you that when it's been made for people who are less at risk, I will be taking it," he said.
"I may end up taking it on TV or having it filmed, just so that people know that I trust this science, and what I don't trust is getting COVID."
Freddy Ford, Mr Bush's chief of staff, told CNN the former president also wanted to help promote vaccination.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases look on during a White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing. Source: Getty Images North America
"First, the vaccines need to be deemed safe and administered to the priority populations," Mr Ford told CNN.
"Then, President Bush will get in line for his, and will gladly do so on camera."
Angel Urena, Mr Clinton's press secretary, told CNN the former president would also be willing to take a vaccine in public on television.
Vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna-NIH are expected to be approved by American authorities shortly and a top science official said on Wednesday the US hopes to have immunised 100 million people by the end of February.
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