US health chief says any COVID-19 vaccine would be shared fairly once US needs met

US Health Secretary Alex Azar, on August 10, said that any vaccine or treatment for COVID-19 would be “fairly and equitably" shared with rest of world once needs are met in America. country, under its Operation Warp Speed', has alrey invested over $9.4 billion on COVID-19 vaccines and is hoping for vaccine distribution by end of this year.

Meanwhile, Azar, who is on a three-day visit to Taiwan, said that US' first priority is to develop eugh quantity of “safe" vaccines for  Americans to use. However, once  needs back home are met, drugs would-be fairly me available to rest of world.

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“Our first priority, of course, is to develop and produce eugh quantity of safe and effective FDA-approved vaccines and rapeutics for use in United States. But we anticipate having a capacity that, once those needs are satisfied, those products would be available in world community according to fair and equitable distributions that we would consult in international community on,” Azar said at a press briefing in Taiwan.

'Largest funder of public health' 

While speaking about US’ decision to withdraw from World Health Organisation, he said that it does t mean that country would show less public involvement in global health. He n ded that US would continue to be “largest funder of public health” in world.

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“After our departure from WHO, we will work with ors in world community to find appropriate vehicles for continuing to support, on a multilateral and bilateral basis, global public health on order that United States has done in past,” he said. 

This comes as President Donald Trump expressed optimism on possibility of having a drug for dely COVID-19 rey by vember 2020. Speaking with Cleveland rio station, Trump said, “Sooner than end of year, could be much sooner.”  He was asked when will a vaccine for COVID-19 be rey and if it will be available sooner than vember 3, date of US Presidential election. To this, Trump replied, "I think in some cases, yes possible before, but right around that time."

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