Kamala Harris, Joe Biden’s Democratic running mate, explained in statements on Saturday that if a coronavirus vaccine were available before the November election, she would not take President Trump’s word for its safety and effectiveness.
• Read also: All developments in the COVID-19 pandemic
“I wouldn’t believe Donald Trump. It’ll have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and reliability of a vaccine, ”Kamala Harris told CNN.
“I won’t take him at his word,” added Kamala Harris, Democratic vice presidential candidate.
President Trump faces intense pressure to curb the contagion that has clouded his re-election prospects, raising concerns that his administration is rushing the search for a vaccine to aid his campaign.
US health officials have asked states to prepare for the large-scale distribution of a coronavirus vaccine and to be “fully operational by the 1er November 2020 ”, ie before the presidential election
The fight against the virus, which has killed more than 188,000 people in the United States and crippled the world’s largest economy, has become a hot topic ahead of the November 3 presidential election.
In front of his supporters, last week at the Republican convention, Donald Trump said that the United States “will produce a vaccine before the end of the year, maybe even before”.
For Anthony Fauci, director of the Institute of Infectious Diseases which manages the Moderna vaccine trial, the first results will undoubtedly be known around “November or December,” he said on CNN Thursday. As for October, “it’s improbable, but not impossible”.
White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday denied any pressure to get a vaccine before the election: “No one is pressuring the FDA for anything.” “The priority here is to save lives,” she added.