Bill Gates addresses a virtual Covid-19 conference organized by the International Aids Society. July 11, 2020
International Aids Society brochure
Billionaire Bill Gates on Wednesday denied conspiracy theories accusing the tech tycoon and philanthropist of wanting to use coronavirus vaccines to implant tracking devices in people.
Gates, whose foundation has donated millions for research into coronavirus vaccines and treatments, addressed a Yahoo News / YouGov survey poll that found that 28% of US adults believed a conspiracy theory. Discredited suggests that Gates planned to use a potential Covid-19 vaccine to implant microchips in billions of people to control their movements.
“We need to get the truth out there,” said Gates, Microsoft co-founder and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, during an interview on CBS News. “I hope it will go away as people learn the facts,” he said, adding that he wants to end the coronavirus pandemic.
There are no FDA-approved drugs or vaccines for the coronavirus, which has infected nearly 15 million people worldwide and has killed at least 617,415 in more than six months, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. There are more than 100 vaccines under development, according to the World Health Organization, with 23 vaccines already in human trials.
In February, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said it was donating $ 100 million for vaccine research and treatment efforts for the coronavirus. It was announced as part of the WHO request for $ 675 million in contributions to combat the spread of the virus. In June, the foundation promised an additional $ 1.6 billion to the Gavi vaccine alliance, an organization focused on efforts to immunize children in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We want to make sure that there are no people dying just because they don’t have access to the vaccine,” Gates said Wednesday. “We will get a good deal on the vaccine and we need the world to get a good deal on it. Many of the companies have committed to that.”
Gates discussed the safety of the vaccines and said he hopes the Food and Drug Administration will do a good job of reviewing any potential vaccines despite pressure to make them available to the public as soon as possible. Americans have concerns they have a potential vaccine. According to a survey by the Associated Press-NORC Public Affairs Research Center, only about half of Americans say they would receive a coronavirus vaccine if scientists manage to make one that works. According to the survey, among Americans who say they would not be vaccinated, 7 out of 10 worry about safety.
He also said that the potential vaccine will likely require two doses rather than one, which could further limit the number of people who can be vaccinated once a vaccine is available.
Melinda Gates, wife of billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates and co-chair of the foundation, said in May that scientists and health officials may find a vaccine that is effective in preventing Covid-19 by the end of this year “if we are lucky.” Even if scientists find a vaccine in record time, they would still have to make millions and eventually billions of doses of the vaccine for the general public, Gates said. There are more than 7.6 billion people in the world, and some of the vaccines under development require more than one dose, she said.
“Never, never like a balloon have we made a vaccine of this type before or on this scale before. So this is not a quick or quick process,” he said.
.
