Microsoft founder Bill Gates said Tuesday that even if a minority of the U.S. population ever receives a coronavirus vaccine, that will be enough to slow its spread across the country.
Gates has been critical of the US response to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying in a Tuesday interview with The Economist that part of the reason it failed in the beginning was due to slow initial efforts for attempts and some refusal by Americans to wear masks because “we believe in freedom, individual freedom.”
But the country has hope, he said, because he thinks that once the Food and Drug Administration approves an effective vaccine, “it will bring an end to the pandemic.” He added that even if only 30 to 60% of the population are ready to receive a vaccine, that may be enough to slow the spread and eventually stop it.
The founder of Microsoft also said that the US needs a vaccine that is “cheap and widely available”, adding that he thinks AstraZeneca is the furthest in bringing such a product to market.
GATES: MULTIPLE CORONAVIRUS VACCINE DOSES MAY STILL BE NEEDED
Gates has been vocal in his thoughts on the country’s response to the pandemic, and has frequently posted on social media and participated in a number of interviews since the outbreak took place. The billionaire predicted in 2015 that the world was not prepared for a pandemic.
BILL GATES CALLS COVID-19 MEDS TO FILL OUT PEOPLE THAT HE DOESN’T, ‘Highest bidder’
After his prediction and support for and investment in medical development and faxing, his name is tied to a number of COVID-19 conspiracy theories, with some people saying they believe his attitude about faxing is just a ploy to track billions of people.
A Yahoo / YouGov poll of more than 1,600 American adults conducted online between May 20 and 21 found that 44 percent of Republicans believe the debunked theory that Gates promotes a COVID-19 vaccine campaign in an attempt to implant microchips in brains to follow their movements. Nearly 20 percent of Democrats said they believed the theory.
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The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has so far donated $ 350 million to coronavirus relief and research.
Both the Gates and the organization have denied all claims of collusion. The foundation states on its website that “vaccines are a powerful tool for fighting diseases and saving lives. Over the past few decades, vaccines have been responsible for destroying smallpox and rescuing people from diseases such as polio, meningitis, and knives. .In some cases the rate of spread of diseases has been reduced by more than 90 [percent]. “
President Trump and his advisers have said that the country can expect a fax at the end of 2020 or in 2021.
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