Coronavirus Vaccine: Trump rejects WHO-led global effort, withdraws participation

The United States President, Donald Trump, has disclosed that the country will not participate in an international effort to develop and distribute a coronavirus vaccine.

While disclosing this in a statement on Tuesday September 1, 2020, White House spokesperson, Judd Deere, said US withdrawal from the initiative was because it is tied to the World Health Organization

“The United States will continue to engage our international partners to ensure we defeat this virus, but we will not be constrained by multilateral organizations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organization and China,” Deere said.

“This President will spare no expense to ensure that any new vaccine maintains our own FDA’s gold standard for safety and efficacy, is thoroughly tested, and saves lives,” he added.

The decision will keep the US isolated from the more 170 countries involved in the COVAX initiative working to provide worldwide access to an effective vaccine.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, vaccine and therapeutic research, development, and trials have advanced at unprecedented speed to deliver groundbreaking, effective medicines driven by data and safety and not held back by government red tape,” Deere said.

Trump, who has long eschewed global alliances and institutions, has increasingly blamed others, including China and the WHO, amid scrutiny of his own administration’s response to the pandemic.