Trump "COVID-19 Vaccine, Mass Supply from October" vs CDC "Limited Supply Earliest in November"

President and Health Authorities Clash Over Timing of COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery
Disagreement on Possibility of Vaccine Supply Before November Election
Conflicting Statements on Mask Effectiveness
COVID-19 Cumulative Cases Surpass 30 Million

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] An embarrassing situation unfolded where U.S. President Donald Trump and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publicly presented conflicting forecasts regarding the timing of the supply of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. This suggested that there was no coordination of positions within the government at all. Besides the vaccine, Trump and the CDC have also made different statements about the effectiveness of masks, causing controversy.

According to local media such as The New York Times on the 16th (local time), President Trump held an unscheduled COVID-19 briefing at the White House and said, "We expect to start (vaccinations) from October," adding, "We anticipate mid-October, but it could be later." He further stated, "By the end of this year, at least 100 million doses of the vaccine will be available," and "The vaccine supply will occur in October or November, but it will not be too late."

President Trump's briefing was prompted by remarks from CDC Director Robert Redfield. Director Redfield appeared at a U.S. Senate hearing on COVID-19 response that day and said, "COVID-19 vaccinations are expected to begin in November or December, but due to limited supply, they will first be provided to healthcare workers and the elderly." He explained that even when the vaccine supply is available, those most vulnerable to COVID-19 will be vaccinated first, and then gradually expanded to people with lower priority.

In particular, regarding the timing when the vaccine will be supplied to the entire U.S. population, he mentioned, "It will take 6 to 9 months," and "Normal life may be possible only in the third quarter of next year." He explained that even if the vaccine is approved, there is a time lag before it produces meaningful effects.

President Trump’s sensitive reaction is closely related to this year’s U.S. presidential election. He judged that supplying the COVID-19 vaccine before the election day on November 3 would secure an advantageous position in the election, but the CDC expressed a difficult stance, raising concerns about setbacks in election strategy.

Besides the vaccine supply timing, President Trump also criticized Director Redfield over mask usage. At the hearing, Director Redfield said, "Masks are the most important and powerful health equipment we have against the COVID-19 pandemic," and "Wearing a mask is a more certain way to protect yourself than getting the COVID-19 vaccine." President Trump argued, "I think Director Redfield made a mistake," and claimed, "Masks can help, but they are not as important as the vaccine."

The number of new COVID-19 cases worldwide is still rapidly increasing. The international statistics site Worldometer reported that the global cumulative COVID-19 cases reached 30,023,611, with 944,640 deaths as of that day. The number of confirmed cases and deaths is increasing moment by moment.

The country with the highest cumulative number of cases is the United States, with 6,826,337 infections recorded. The U.S., which once had over 70,000 new cases daily, is now maintaining an average of 30,000 to 40,000 new cases per day. Following the U.S., India shows an increase of 90,000 to 100,000 new cases daily. India’s cumulative confirmed cases stand at 5,115,893.

Europe, which was considered the epicenter of COVID-19 after China earlier this year, is seeing a rapid spread of the virus, raising concerns. Spain reported 11,193 new COVID-19 cases on this day, which is a faster increase than during the spring outbreak. In addition to Spain, France also recorded 9,784 new COVID-19 cases in one day. However, despite the spread of COVID-19 in Europe, it is known that large-scale lockdowns will not be implemented.