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 Asked on the Geraldo Rivera radio program when a vaccine might be
ready, Trump said, "Sooner than the end of the year, could be much
sooner."
"Sooner than November 3?" he was asked.
"I think in some cases, yes possible before, but right around that
time," Trump said.
Later at the White House, Trump said he was optimistic a vaccine
would be available around that date. Asked if it would help him in
the election, he said, "It wouldn't hurt. But I'm doing it, not for
the election; I want to save a lot of lives."
Trump, who is seeking re-election to a second term amid a U.S.
economy crippled by coronavirus shutdowns, has pushed for schools to
reopen and things to get "back to normal" as coronavirus deaths in
the country average more than 1,000 per day.
Top government health officials have said corners would not be cut
in the race to secure a vaccine against the virus.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. government infectious diseases
official, offered a more conservative view in a Reuters interview on
Wednesday, saying there might be an indication that at least one
vaccine works and is safe by year end.
The frenetic race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine has intensified
safety concerns about an inoculation, prompting governments and
drugmakers to raise awareness to ensure their efforts to beat the
coronavirus are not derailed by public distrust.
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Health Secretary Alex Azar on Thursday denied the push for a vaccine was
political, but did not say whether he believed it was possible to have a vaccine
ready before Election Day.
He said he would take a coronavirus vaccine authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration. "We're going to run a transparent process," he told MSNBC. "The
best thing we can do for vaccine hesitancy is ensure that the data is out
there."
Democrats in the House of Representatives on Thursday introduced legislation
that would require the FDA to consult with a panel of experts to ensure a
vaccine doesn't get rammed through too fast. The panel, the Vaccines and Related
Biological Products Advisory Committee, is made up of experts from academia,
industry and government.
While a quick vaccine is essential, bill sponsor U.S. Representative Raja
Krishnamoorthi said, "it is even more important that quality is not sacrificed
for speed in testing and evaluating any such vaccine."
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal and Susan
Heavey; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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