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WASHINGTON (AP) – Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris said she would not just take President Donald Trump’s word for any possible coronavirus vaccine.
In an excerpt from the interview broadcast by CNN on Saturday (Sept. 5), Harris said Trump had a history of suppressing expert opinion on the coronavirus pandemic and was concerned that that could happen again in the event of a possible vaccine.
“I would not trust Donald Trump,” she said, saying that she would only be convinced of the efficacy of a vaccine if someone credible also endorsed it.
“I won’t take your word for it.”
READ: Trump’s COVID-19 asks for too little, too late to help the US economy, experts say
At least 6.2 million people have been infected by the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, which has claimed 187,833 lives, according to a Reuters tally.
With the administration’s handling of the world’s worst outbreak of the disease under close scrutiny, Trump has raised the possibility that a vaccine will be ready before the November 3 US presidential election.
But the president has a history of disobeying scientific advice and some experts are skeptical that vaccine trials, which have to study potential side effects in a wide range of people before they can render a verdict, can be completed later. this year or even earlier. next year.
READ: US COVID-19 deaths projected to more than double to 410,000 in January
Harris suggested to CNN that Trump could leverage a vaccine, no matter how untested, to polish his image.
“He is thinking of an election in less than 60 days and he is holding on to everything he can to pretend that he can be a leader on this issue when he is not,” he said.
The White House did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
CNN said the full interview with Harris will air on Sunday.
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