Trump touts vaccines at summit, urging FDA to grant approval
Washington — President Trump said Tuesday the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is "days away" from authorizing the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, and the White House is pushing the FDA "hard" for that approval, which could come within days.
Mr. Trump delivered remarks at an Operation Warp Speed Vaccine Summit as the two pharmaceutical companies and the federal government prepare to begin distributing the first doses of coronavirus vaccines amid a surge in infections.
"Every American who wants the vaccine will be able to get the vaccine," Mr. Trump said, despite concerns that the initial batch of doses will be difficult to quickly replenish.
The summit, held at the White House, brought together governors, private-sector executives, drug distributors and representatives from companies that will be instrumental in distributing and administering COVID-19 vaccines, assuming the FDA gives approval.
Absent from the event, however, were executives from Pfizer and Moderna, which are seeking emergency use authorization for their respective vaccines from the FDA, which could come as early as Thursday for Pfizer's version. The president said other companies are also readying vaccines and will be announced "very soon." If there are any "problems" with the pharmaceutical companies, the president said he'll invoke the Defense Production Act.
Meanwhile, Britain began vaccinating older residents on Monday morning. The U.S. has yet to begin vaccinations.
Mr. Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Health and Human Services to prioritize vaccine doses for Americans first, but it's unclear what substantive difference the order will make. The White House is denying a New York Times story that it turned down an opportunity to purchase more of the Pfizer vaccine this year. Pfizer said it will need an additional purchase agreement with the federal government to provide more than the 100 million agreed-upon doses.
On Tuesday, the president also defended the White House's decision to continue to hold holiday parties, even though the gatherings contradict guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and health officials on the Coronavirus Task Force.
Mr. Trump continued to falsely claim that he won the deciding swing states in November's election, when asked about his failure to include the incoming administration in the event.
"Well, we're going to have to see who the next administration is, because we won in those swing states," Mr. Trump said, repeating false claims of massive election fraud.
As Mr. Trump was speaking, President-elect Joe Biden announced he's setting a goal of 100 million COVID-19 vaccinations in his first 100 days, but said he will need cooperation from Congress to reach that goal.
If given the green-light, Pfizer and Moderna are expected to provide roughly 40 million doses of their vaccines by the end of the year, which would give up to 20 million people the required two doses. Last week, an advisory committee from the CDC recommended the first batch of vaccinations be distributed to health care workers in the U.S. and residents of long-term care facilities.
The president's address at the vaccine summit is one of few public appearances he has made since Mr. Biden was projected the winner of the presidential election. The president has seldom answered questions from reporters in the weeks following the November 3 election and has instead aired grievances about the outcome of the presidential race on Twitter.
