Trump hopes for COVID-19 vaccine by end of this year, launches 'Operation Warp Speed'

US President Donald Trump on Friday said he hoped a COVID-19 vaccine would be available by end of year and anunced to appoint a former head of vaccines at GlaxoSmithKline to spearhead effort as researchers around world scramble to develop a vaccine for coronavirus that has killed more than 300,000 people globally.

Trump formally anunced "Operation Warp Speed" to develop COVID-19 vaccine as his administration mounted an unprecedented effort that involves country’s military to get a vaccine for deadly disease before end of year.

“It is called Operation Warp Speed that means big, and it means fast a massive scientific industrial and logistical endeavour, unlike anything our country has seen since Manhattan Project. You really could say that body has seen anything like we are doing, wher it's ventilators or testing body has seen anything like we are doing w within our country since second world war incredible,” he said.

“It’s objective is to finish developing and n to manufacture and distribute a proven coronavirus vaccine as fast as possible. Again we would love to see if we could do it prior to end of year. I think we are going to have some very good results coming out very quickly,” Trump said.

He said United States is t looking at profits from coronavirus vaccine.

“ last thing anybody is looking for is profit in terms of what we are doing. Every company y want to get it out,” Trump told reporters in Rose Garden of White House.

“In addition, it will continue accelerating development of diagstics and breakthrough rapies. great national project will bring toger best of American industry and invation, full resources of United States government, and excellence and precision of United States military; we have a military totally involved,” he added.

Trump anunced he would appoint Moncef Slaoui, former head of GSK Vaccines, and four star army general Gustave Perna, to lead "Operation Warp Speed."

Slaoui, who left GlaxoSmithKline in 2017, will be be chief scientist. Slaoui, a world-rewned immulogist, helped create 14 new vaccines in 10 years during his time in private sector.

Joining Slaoui his Chief Operating Officer will be General Perna, a four-star general who currently oversees 190,000 service members, civilians, and contractors as commander of US Army Material Command that means logistics.

In preparation for this initiative, experts throughout government have been collaborating to evaluate roughly 100 vaccine candidates from all over world.

"y have identified 14 that y believe are most promising, and y are working to narrow that list still furr," he said.

“We started off with over 100 we are down to 14, and we have some really interesting choices to be made doing very well. Through operation warp speed, federal government is providing unprecedented support and resources to safely expedite trials. Moving on at record, record, record speed,” he said.

president also said United States will work closely with or countries — even those who aren't allies, — to develop a vaccine.

“We're working with or people outside and that's fine too. We want to get to solution. We kw exactly where or countries are, and we'll be very happy if y are able to do it. We'll help m with delivery. We'll help with m with--in every way we can. We have ego when it comes to this, ego whatsoever,” he asserted.

“Whoever gets it is going to be very proud to give it and develop a, y develop it and we will see what happens. We have got countries that are allies that we have some countries frankly that aren't allies where we are working very closely toger so we are working toger with many different countries and again we have ego, we have ego,” he said.

“Whoever gets it we think it's great and we're going to work with m y are going to work with us likewise if we get it we are going to be working with m,” said president.

Responding to a question, Trump said US is working with India on developing a vaccine for COVID-19. He praised Indian-Americans as “great” scientists and researchers.

“I just got back a short while ago from India recently and we are working very much with India and we have a tremendous Indian population in US and many of people that you are talking about are working on vaccine too. Great scientist and researchers,” he said

“Yes. We are working very closely also with India,” Trump said responding to a question.