WILMINGTON, Delaware: Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Wednesday (Sep 16) rejected President Donald Trump's charge that he is spreading fear about the safety of a potential coronavirus vaccine, urging Trump to defer to scientists and not rush its rollout.
"Let me be clear: I trust vaccines, I trust scientists, but I dont trust Donald Trump," Biden said. "At this moment, the American people cant either."
Advertisement
Advertisement
Biden warned against trying to rush out an unfinished vaccine ahead of the Nov 3 election.
Trump, who has accused Biden and his campaign of stoking doubt among Americans about the efficacy of a vaccine, told reporters at the White House later that Biden should stop promoting "anti-vaccine theories."
"They're recklessly endangering lives. You can't do that," said Trump, who predicted at least 100 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine could be distributed by the end of 2020.
The coronavirus has caused about 195,000 US deaths, the most of any country, and millions of job losses, becoming a central issue in the presidential campaign. Trump has repeatedly downplayed COVID-19's risks, particularly early in the crisis and has also drawn criticism for ignoring or disputing warnings from scientists and public health officials.
Advertisement
Advertisement
READ: Reaching herd immunity in a viral pandemic
Speaking from his home base of Wilmington, Delaware, on Wednesday, Biden argued that such a vaccine should only be approved by adhering to rigorous safety standards.
"Scientific breakthroughs dont care about calendars any more than the virus does. They certainly dont adhere to election cycles. And their timing, their approval and distribution, should never, ever be distorted by political considerations," he said.
Earlier, Republican US Representative Brad Wenstrup, a physician and Trump supporter, dismissed those concerns in a call with reporters, saying the US Food and Drug Administration would ensure any new vaccine was safe.
"We believe the FDA is not going to approve something that isnt safe and effective," Wenstrup said.
Democratic US presidential nominee 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 Sep 16, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
At the White House, Trump contradicted one of his own 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 was approved in the coming weeks, it likely would not 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 incorrect information. I believe 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 U.S surgeon general. His speech was part of a delicate balancing act the former vice president has struck in recent weeks, as Trump has suggested a vaccine could be approved ahead of 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 sign off on a vaccine to boost his re-election prospects. At the same time, Biden has been careful to say he wants to see a safe vaccine as soon as possible.
"There has to be total transparency, so scientists outside the government know what is being approved," Biden said. "Im saying, trust the scientist."
Health experts have expressed concern that not enough Americans will volunteer to take an approved coronavirus vaccine, in part because of the speed with which it is being created. Most vaccines are developed over a decade Read More – Source
[contf] [contfnew] 
channel news asia
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
