Trump administration lacks COVID-19 vaccine plan, says 'ousted' vaccine expert

A former government vaccine developer named Rick Bright has alleged that there are not enough doses of the Coronavirus trial drug Remdesivir. He has accused US President Donald Trump of failing to ramp up production and lacking a strong distribution plan.

"We are seeing challenges with limited doses of Remdesivir. We haven't scaled up production and we don't have a plan on how to fairly and equitably distribute," Bright testified in a congressional hearing. 

Bright was a top vaccine expert and previously headed the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). He claimed he had suggested in February to relevant officials in the Trump administration about Remdesivir as potential drug treatment to Coronavirus, but the administration ignored his inputs.

READ | Trump Pledges To Replenish National Stockpile After Whistleblower Exposes Lack For Preparedness

READ | What Is Obamagate? Here's What US President Donald Trump's Latest Attack Theory Entails

Bright's allegations against Trump

The nearly three-month delay has proved costly for the United States, which now has 1.4 million cases and more than 85,000 deaths from the coronavirus, Bright told during Thursday's hearing. The US Food and Drug Administration approved emergency-use authorization for Remdesivir earlier this month.

Bright has raised serious allegations against Donald Trump. He said he was fired from BARDA after refusing to validate hydroxychloroquine at Trump's recommendation as an alternative but unproven prescription to COVID-19. Bright has now been rehired at another health division within the administration. Bright is concerned about the Trump administration's competence in handling the COVID vaccine which is under development.

"You can imagine this scenario this fall or winter, maybe even early next spring, when the vaccine becomes available. There is no one company that can produce enough for our country or for the world. We need to have a strategy and plan in place now to make sure that we can make that vaccine distributed in a fair and equitable manner," he said.

Trump has claimed that a vaccine by the US can be fast-tracked and expected by end of this year, however, Bright has opined that it would take a minimum 12 months to 18 months to come up with a vaccine "even on an aggressive schedule".

READ | China's Long March 5B Rocket Crash Lands In Atlantic Ocean- Biggest Space Debris Since '91

READ | Trump Confirms Pulling Out US Pension Fund From China Investments

After the row over Bright's criticism of the administration, President Trump has said on Thursday that he intends to prepare the country for future pandemics by restocking the national stockpile and bringing critical manufacturing back to the US.

Trump said that he wants to ensure that the next president doesn't inherit an empty stockpile and that he would build up a three-month supply of items like ventilators and N95 respirator masks that have been in short supply. He said he'd like many of these items to be American-made.

"I'm determined that America will be prepared for any of the future outbreaks," Trump said.

(With ANI inputs)