Tom Hanks Says He Would Get The COVID Vaccine Publicly To Show It’s Safe

Tom and his wife Rita were among the first celebrities to publicly announce that they had contracted COVID-19 and spoke publicly about their diagnosis and quarantine and recovery experience.

In an interview with Today,  Tom said that he would publicly get the COVID-19 vaccine to show others that it is safe.

“We’ll be getting it long after everybody who truly needs to get it gets it,” Hanks said. Health care workers and nursing home residents will have priority access to the vaccine.

Hanks tested positive for the virus in mid-March while filming in Australia.  Hanks has been known for promoting social distancing throughout the pandemic. The actor has been very vocal about reminding the public to take proper safety precautions.

He called out people who refuse to wear face masks, explicitly stating, “There’s really only three things we can do in order to get to tomorrow: Wear a mask, social distance, wash our hands.”

Since testing positive, Hanks has been donating his plasma to help COVID-19 researchers.