Former President Donald Trump Tuesday encouraged  Republicans to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

“I would recommend it, and I would recommend it to a lot of people who don’t want to get it and a lot are people who voted for me frankly," Trump told Maria Bartiromo  on Fox News on March 16.

 “It’s a great vaccine, and it’s a safe vaccine, and it is something that works," Trump added.

According to Fox News, the former president and his first lady were vaccinated in January before leaving office.

A National Public Radio (NPR) poll  released earlier this month found most Americans  want to be vaccinated. The poll found 73% of Black people and 70% of White people surveyed said they either planned to get the COVID-19 vaccine or had done so already. Hispanic respondants were slightly less likely to support vaccinations; 63% of Hispanics indicated they either had been vaccinated or planned to do so.

While race did not appear to be a major factor in who wants to be vaccinated, the poll found stark political differences.   The group most likely to say no to COVID-19 vaccination: Republican men.

According to the poll, 49% of Republican men said they did not plan to be vaccinated in the NPR poll. Overall 41%  of Republicans said they do not plan to be  vaccinated.

A CNN poll released last week found 57% of Republicans said they would not be vaccinated.

On "Fox News Sunday" on March 14,  the nation's top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci urged Trump to encourage his supporters to be vaccinated.  Fauci noted the vaccination program started during the Trump presidency and Trump's support would make all the difference to his Republican followers.