Former prime minister Jean Chrétien is calling on Canadians to “do their duty” and get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect the health of their friends, family and neighbours.
I “invite every Canadian to do their duty,” Chrétien told CBC chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton today.
“If you are vaccinated, it is not only for yourself but it is for the protection of the people around you, too.”
Chrétien, 87, said he was happy to receive his first shot last month in Ottawa and is looking forward to getting his second shot.
“We all live in the same Canadian family and we have to show a lot of solidarity to each other,” he said.
Former Conservative prime minister Joe Clark quietly got his vaccination last month in Ottawa as well — a stark contrast with the very public show former U.S. presidents have made of getting their shots.
Former U.S. presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, along with their first ladies, have received their shots in the full glare of the media. They’re also taking part in a national campaign aimed at encouraging other Americans to get vaccinated.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, 49, has not had his shots yet. He said he’s waiting for a moment of maximum impact.
“I can only get my first vaccine once, and the moment I choose to do that should be a moment where it encourages the most possible people to get it,” Trudeau said recently on Peter Mansbridge’s The Bridge podcast.
www.cbc.ca 2021-04-09 21:41:41