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WILMINGTON, Del. – Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Wednesday (September 16) rejected President Donald Trump’s accusation that he is spreading fears about the safety of a possible coronavirus vaccine, urging Trump to give in to scientists and don’t rush your implementation.
“Let me be clear: I trust vaccines, I trust scientists, but I don’t trust Donald Trump,” Biden said. “Right now, the American people can’t either.”
Biden warned against trying to launch an unfinished vaccine before the November 3 election.
Trump, who has accused Biden and his campaign of stoking doubts among Americans about the efficacy of a vaccine, later told reporters at the White House that Biden should stop promoting “anti-vaccine theories.”
“They are recklessly endangering lives. You can’t do that,” said Trump, who predicted that at least 100 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine could be distributed by the end of 2020.
The coronavirus has caused around 195,000 deaths in the United States, the most of any country, and millions of lost jobs, making it a central issue in the presidential campaign. Trump has repeatedly downplayed the risks of COVID-19, particularly early in the crisis, and has also drawn criticism for ignoring or questioning warnings from scientists and public health officials.
READ: Reaching Herd Immunity in a Viral Pandemic
Speaking from his home base in Wilmington, Delaware, on Wednesday, Biden argued that such a vaccine should only be approved by meeting rigorous safety standards.
“Scientific advances do not care about calendars any more than the virus. They certainly do not adhere to electoral cycles. And their timing, their approval and distribution should never, never be distorted by political considerations,” he said.
Earlier, US Republican Rep. Brad Wenstrup, a doctor and Trump supporter, dismissed those concerns in a call with reporters, saying the US Food and Drug Administration would ensure that any new vaccine is safe.
“We believe that the FDA is not going to approve something that is not safe and effective,” Wenstrup said.
United States Democratic Presidential Candidate and Former Vice President Joe Biden participates in a briefing with public health experts on efforts to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wilmington, Delaware, on September 16, 2020 (Photo: REUTERS / Jonathan). Ernst)
At the White House, Trump contradicted one of his top health officials, Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Redfield told a congressional panel on Wednesday that even if a COVID-19 vaccine were approved in the next few weeks, it probably wouldn’t be widely available to the public until the middle of next year.
“No, I think he made a mistake when he said that,” Trump said. “That’s wrong information. I think he was confused. I think he just misunderstood the question, probably.”
Biden spoke after being briefed on the virus by several public health experts, including Vivek Murthy, the former US surgeon general.His speech was part of a delicate balancing act that the former vice president has achieved in recent weeks as he Trump suggested that a vaccine could be approved before the election.
‘TRUST THE SCIENTIST’
Biden, who leads the president in national opinion polls, has questioned whether Trump is pressuring agencies like the FDA to approve a vaccine to boost his re-election prospects. At the same time, Biden has been careful to say that he wants to see a safe vaccine as soon as possible.
“There has to be full transparency, so scientists outside of government know what is being approved,” Biden said. “I’m saying, trust the scientist.”
Health experts have expressed concern that not enough Americans are volunteering for an approved coronavirus vaccine, in part due to the speed with which it is being created. Most vaccines are developed for a decade or more.
READ: Trump says coronavirus vaccine could be a few weeks away: City Hall
In a Reuters / Ipsos survey in July, just over 60 percent of Americans said they were interested in receiving a vaccine, around the threshold that experts say is likely necessary to stop the spread of the pandemic.
Trump’s penchant for spreading misinformation about the coronavirus may affect his ability to assure Americans of vaccine safety, the survey suggested. Only 15 percent of those surveyed said they would be more willing if Trump said the vaccine is safe. More than twice as many said a presidential endorsement would actually make them less interested in taking the vaccine.
Biden has sought for months to portray Trump’s response to the outbreak as a failure that has caused tens of thousands of needless deaths. His argument was reinforced last week by the publication of taped interviews between Trump and journalist Bob Woodward, in which the president acknowledged having deliberately downplayed the lethality of the virus.
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