SANTA Claus could have been the first recipient of a COVID-19 vaccine, under a now-ditched US Government plan to get the jolly red man completely coronavirus-safe.
Ric Erwin from the Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas has confirmed the proposal to the Wall Street Journal, with the US Department of Health and Human Services postulating that a vaccine would be approved by mid-Nov.
Michael Caputo, a formal assistant secretary at the department, apparently told Erwin that it would first be distributed to essential workers.
"If you and your colleagues are not essential workers, I don't know what is," he told Erwin in a phone call recording released by the newspaper.
It's understood that about 100 Santas and their helpers had already volunteered to take the vaccine as part of a US$250 million campaign which aimed to boost take-up by gaining celebrity endorsements.
Health officials have now confirmed that the promotion had been dropped, which Erwin said was "extremely disappointing".
"This was our greatest hope for Christmas 2020, and now it looks like it won't happen".
He said that unfortunately with Santa being in a high risk category almost all in-person encounters were impossible, "not to mention the fact that our clientele, the children, are notorious vectors for all things infectious".
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