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Washington (CNN) – The United States will not participate in an international effort to develop and distribute a coronavirus vaccine because the initiative is linked to the World Health Organization (WHO), the White House said Tuesday.
The decision, which comes at a critical point in the response to the US coronavirus, with cases exceeding 6 million, will keep the United States isolated from the more than 170 countries involved in the COVAX initiative that are working to provide global access. to an effective vaccine.
“The United States will continue to engage our international partners to ensure that we defeat this virus, but we will not be constrained by multilateral organizations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organization and China,” White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a release.
“This president will spare no expense to ensure that any new vaccine upholds our own FDA’s gold standard for safety and efficacy, is thoroughly tested, and saves lives.”
In addition to underscoring Trump’s distrust of global alliances and, in particular, his criticism of the WHO, the decision marks a notable commitment to Operation Warp Speed, the federal government’s effort to accelerate development. of medicines, vaccines and other measures to combat the pandemic. Two covid-19 vaccines are in phase 3 trials in the US, those made by Moderna and Pfizer / BioNTech, with two more expected to begin phase 3 trials in mid-September.
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“Under President Trump’s leadership, research, development, and testing of vaccines and therapies have advanced at unprecedented speed to deliver innovative and effective drugs driven by data and safety and not held back by government bureaucracy,” he said. Deere.
Trump, who has long avoided global alliances and institutions, has increasingly blamed others, including China and the WHO, amid scrutiny of his own administration’s response to the pandemic.
In July, the Trump administration notified Congress and the United Nations that the United States is formally withdrawing from the WHO, several officials told CNN.
The withdrawal, which will take effect next July, has drawn criticism from bipartisan lawmakers, medical associations, advocacy organizations and allies abroad. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden previously promised to reverse the decision “on (his) first day” if elected.
Critics have questioned whether the WHO is independent enough, given China’s growing wealth and power. They point to the WHO’s effusive praise for China’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Agency officials have defended their early actions when it comes to fighting the coronavirus, noting that much was unknown about the virus in January.
