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President Donald Trump received a Covid-19 vaccine booster and a flu shot during a routine visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Friday, according to a memo released by the White House. The president’s physician described Trump’s overall condition as “exceptional,” with cardiovascular and metabolic health well above average for his age.
Dr. Sean P. Barbarella, the president’s physician, said in a one-page summary that Trump, 79, “remains in exceptional health, exhibiting strong cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, and physical performance.” The visit was characterized as a “scheduled follow-up” and part of Trump’s “ongoing health maintenance plan,” which included advanced imaging, laboratory testing and preventive assessments.
Barbarella reported that Trump’s “cardiac age” measured roughly 14 years younger than his chronological age — based on an electrocardiogram and other diagnostic tests. “His labs were exceptional, including stable metabolic, hematologic, and cardiac parameters,” the doctor wrote.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier this week that the visit was “his routine yearly check-up,” though it marks Trump’s second Walter Reed visit this year following a comprehensive physical in April.
The president also received his seasonal flu vaccine and a Covid-19 booster “in preparation for upcoming international travel,” Barbarella noted. Trump is scheduled to depart for the Middle East on Sunday after helping broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas earlier in the week.
The president’s vaccination comes amid shifting federal guidance on Covid-19 shots. On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention narrowed its recommendations, advising boosters only for people aged 65 and older or those with underlying conditions — and only after consultation with medical providers.
That policy shift followed a major overhaul of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic who dismissed all prior members earlier this year. Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill approved the updated guidelines based on the new panel’s recommendations.
During a Senate hearing last month, former CDC Director Susan Monarez testified that Kennedy pressured her to preemptively approve vaccine guidance from the new panel and became “upset” when she refused.
Trump’s Walter Reed visit also follows renewed speculation about his health after a visible bruise on his hand and several days out of the public eye. In July, the president was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a non-life-threatening condition that can cause swelling and skin discoloration in the legs.
Trump, who became the oldest person elected U.S. president last November, was a few months older than Joe Biden was at the time of his 2020 victory.
