President Biden To Lead All-Star TV Special Advocating COVID-19 Vaccinations

President Joe Biden will be joined by four former presidents and first ladies and a line-up of entertainers and athletes for a television special to promote COVID-19 vaccinations.

What Happened: “Roll Up Your Sleeves” is an hour-long special airing on April 18 at 7:00 p.m. EDT on NBC, a Comcast Corporation CMCSA subsidiary. The production is being presented by Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. WBA, the media company ATTN: and the nonprofits Civic Nation.

Biden will be joined by four of his predecessors – Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama – and their respective wives. White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci will appear in an interview conducted by actor Matthew McConaughey, and the special will include appearances by celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Billy Crystal and Amanda Seyfried.

Related Link: Why Novavax Stock Is Popping, Despite Vaccine Rollout Issues

Why This Is Happening: Although the rollout for the COVID-19 vaccines is occurring at a record pace, there is still a great deal of apprehension and skepticism about the efficacy of the vaccines.

A recent NPR/Marist poll found one in four Americans claiming they would decline the vaccine if offered to them while 5% were "undecided" about whether they would get the shot. A Pentagon study found nearly 40% of U.S. Marines who were offered the vaccine have declined it.

The announcement of the television special follows Tuesday's decision by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to pause the use of Johnson & Johnson's JNJ vaccine after reports of six recipients developing a rare kind of blood clot after receiving the vaccine.

Photo by Gage Skidmore / Flickr Creative Commons.