Anti-vaxxers are using an old Biden quote to mock him after First Lady catches Covid

The First Lady of the United States, Dr Jill Biden, has tested positive for Covid-19 for the second time and is experiencing “only mild symptoms”, it has been confirmed.

Dr Biden’s communications director Elizabeth Alexander issued a statement with the news on Monday evening, adding the Flotus would remain at her Delaware home for the time being.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre shared a separate comment the same night in which she noted president Joe Biden took a Covid test himself following his wife testing positive and it came back negative.

“The president will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms,” she added.

And yet, despite both Biden’s being vaccinated against coronavirus (and universities and health bodies alike noting the vaccine can reduce the risk of catching, spreading, becoming seriously ill or dying from Covid-19), anti-vaxxers are still coming out in force to use Dr Biden’s infection to undermine vaccine efficacy.

In particular, they’re drawing attention to comments made by Mr Biden during a CNN Town Hall with presenter Don Lemon in Ohio back in July 2021.

During the event, he said: “We’re not in a position where we think that any virus – including the Delta virus, which is much more transmissible and deadly in terms of … unvaccinated people – the various shots that people are getting now cover that.

“You’re OK. You’re not going to get Covid if you have these vaccinations.”

Because Dr Biden has tested positive this week, the clip has now resurfaced:

Of course, this comment from president Biden isn’t accurate, as many experts state a coronavirus vaccination can reduce the risk of developing Covid-19, rather than eliminate that risk entirely.

We only need to look at the fact that Joe and Jill Biden – 80 and 72 respectively – previously fought off COVID-19 in August last year without needing to be hospitalised.

That’s in comparison to former president Donald Trump, who had to be admitted to Walter Reed Medical Centre - a military hospital - in October 2020 after testing positive for coronavirus.

In contrast to his successor, Mr Trump downplayed the severity of the virus, repeating false claims about children being “immune” and, in one of his most infamous contributions to the public health debate, suggested bleach could be used to treat Covid.

It’s understood Mr Trump, 74 at the time of his coronavirus infection, was not vaccinated, with reports from several outlets in early 2021 stating he quietly got vaccinated in January of that year.

We can’t believe we have to say this yet again, but vaccines are safe, people.

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