4 years ago
U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States will produce enough coronavirus vaccine doses for "every American" by April 2021, but according to an ABC News/Ipsos poll released Sunday, nearly 70 percent of Americans are not confident that he can ensure the safety and efficacy of the vaccine inoculation.
Only nine percent have a "great deal" of confidence in Trump to confirm the safety and effectiveness of a potential coronavirus vaccine, the polls suggest, with 18 percent reporting a "good amount" of confidence.
In contrast, 69 percent of respondents said they don't have confidence in Trump's endorsement of the vaccine, including 16 percent saying "not so much" and 53 percent saying "none at all."
Trump told a White House news conference on Friday that the country will have at least 100 million doses of a vaccine by the end of the year, or "likely much more than that."
"Hundreds of millions of doses will be available every month and we expect to have enough vaccines for every American by April and again I'll say even at that later stage, the delivery will go as fast as it comes," he said.
The poll also indicates that a majority of Americans have confidence in health experts and public health organizations, with 62 percent reporting confidence in top U.S. infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci and 61 percent trusting the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
On the other hand, the U.S. pharmaceutical companies performed badly, with 52 percent saying they have little or no confidence in them to verify that the coronavirus vaccine is safe and effective.
On Wednesday, CDC Director Robert Redfield told lawmakers during a Senate hearing that he expected vaccinations to begin in November or December, but in limited quantities to ensure that those most in need, such as healthcare workers, will get the first doses.
Redfield said it will be the late second quarter or third quarter of 2021 before a COVID-19 vaccine is generally available to the American public. Later that day, Trump contradicted Redfield, describing his remarks as "confused" and "mistaken."
Trump's interference in the quest for a COVID-19 vaccine is further damaging his "disastrous" pandemic response, CNN reported on Thursday as the U.S. has registered nearly 6.8 million coronavirus infections and nearly 200,000 deaths – both the highest in the world.
