Drugmaker Pfizer said Monday an early look at data from its coronavirus vaccine shows it is more than 90% effective — a much better than expected efficacy if the trend continues.
President Donald Trump celebrated the news that the coronavirus vaccine being developed by Pfizer and BioNTech was found to be more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 in their Phase 3 clinical trial.
The development is a significant step toward combating the global pandemic at a time when many areas are seeing a rise in cases.
“STOCK MARKET UP BIG, VACCINE COMING SOON. REPORT 90% EFFECTIVE. SUCH GREAT NEWS!” Trump tweeted Monday morning.
STOCK MARKET UP BIG, VACCINE COMING SOON. REPORT 90% EFFECTIVE. SUCH GREAT NEWS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 9, 2020
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that while it is “good news” that Pfizer has had a recent breakthrough in its coronavirus vaccine clinical trial, he believes it is “bad news” that the Trump administration will get to plan the distribution.
In an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Monday, Cuomo said he has spoken to other governors about how they can alter or even block Trump’s plan so that President-elect Joe Biden could do it instead.
“Well, it’s good news, bad news, George,” Cuomo said. “The good news is the Pfizer tests look good and we’ll have a vaccine shortly. The bad news is it’s about two months before Joe Biden takes over, and that means this administration is going to be implementing a vaccine plan.”
Cuomo pointed to the scale of the distribution project, which he estimated would involve as many as 330 million vaccinations — which could require two doses — compared to 120 million coronavirus tests performed in the U.S. in seven months.
“And the Trump administration is rolling out the vaccination plan and I believe it’s flawed,” Cuomo continued. “I believe it learns nothing from the past. They’re basically going to have the private providers do it, and that’s going to leave out all sorts of communities that were left out the first time when COVID ravaged them.”
“The Biden administration — when you deny a problem the way Trump did, you could never solve it,” Cuomo said. “And that’s true in life.” He then claimed that the Trump administration “denied COVID” despite Trump having a White House coronavirus task force that gave regular updates in the early stages of the pandemic as well as White House guidelines for a multiphase reopening strategy.
Senator Ben Sasse (R., Neb.) issued a harsh rebuke of Governor Cuomo’s comments.
“What on earth is Governor Cuomo talking about?” Sasse said in a statement. “This is great news and everyone — Republicans and Democrats and apolitical folks – should all be jointly thrilled about the possibility of an effective vaccine.”
He continued: “After this nasty virus has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans and put millions out of work, it is beyond disgusting that Governor Cuomo would use a glimmer of hope for another worn-out ‘Trump is bad’ talking point. When we get a vaccine, we’re going to need all hands on deck distributing it as fast as possible — shamelessly politicizing this is dangerous and stupid.”
The heads of Pfizer and BioNTech celebrated their breakthrough as a reason for hope.
“Today is a great day for science and humanity. The first set of results from our Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19,” Pfizer Chairman and CEO Dr. Albert Bourla said in a statement. “We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most with infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity and economies struggling to reopen. With today’s news, we are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis.”
President-Elect Joe Biden also celebrated the success of the trial, but also warned that the pandemic remains a problem and will likely continue to be one for months to come.
“I congratulate the brilliant women and men who helped produce this breakthrough and to give us such cause for hope,” Biden said in a statement. “At the same time, it is also important to understand that the end of the battle against COVID-19 is still months away. This news follows a previously announced timeline by industry officials that forecast vaccine approval by late November. Even if that is achieved, and some Americans are vaccinated later this year, it will be many more months before there is widespread vaccination in this country.”
Biden went on to remind Americans to continue wearing masks and practice social distancing and other preventative measures.
You are deliberately choosing to twist his words because you’re so obsessed with Trump. He’s saying that Trump’s administration has no coherent plan for distributing the vaccine properly, and therefore it’s unfortunate that it’s under this administration and not an actually competent one that the vaccine will begin rolling out. This is true. The Trump administration’s covid response has been practically nonexistent, and they will botch this.
Exactly!!!
He said in his own words that he knew how deadly it was, but he decided to ‘play it down.’ In other words, he decided that he’s king, and he gets to say what he wants to his subjects. Which means that he’ll continue to use this idea to distribute the vaccine – he’ll make the decision, according to his rotzon, about who gets it when.
Trump cannot be trusted to deal honstly with the distribution. As we’ve seen, he will think first, and second, and third, of himself only. Whatever he thinks will benefit Donald Trump is what he’ll do.
Why would you take a vaccine that has no proven long term positive or negative affects?!
Is that enough grounds to delay a vaccine that will save precious lives? Because isn’t that what all the political disagreement has been about — wanting to save lives?
Coming from the guy who caused thousands of deaths in NYC nursing homes, it’s not surprising people are taking negative views on what Cuomo said.
That moment when the democrats have a vaccine but don’t want the pandemic to end 😂
There. You got the proof!
They’re all about politics and hate and don’t really care about your life at all.
Wake up
Everyone needs to step up now again urgently it’s a critical time and wear a mask , social distance and quarantine if needed and contact trace remember we run 4 weeks behind Europe be smart and save a life
Maybe we should broadcast this message to the thousands of people crowded together to celebrate Biden’s projected win.
That obama is behind all this? First Hillary against trump, then biden… apparently even if he finished his presidency, he wants to be “in control” and “it should stay among us” foreverrrrr! Chv!
P.s. the governor said he wanted to be the first state that everyone should be vaccinated, well he’s SURELY taking his time and other states will go before him!he so doesn’t care at all for human life – just manipulating, control and dictatorship!
Maybe better others take the vaccine 1st so we see over a larger population and more time how safe and effective it is. I wouldnt run to be 1st to try this vaccine
I’m immune so don’t need it, but If dems are against it, it must be good!
Because President Donald Trump is a “Covid denier”, Cuomo will disregard COVID tragedies until then. Until then, the victims are merely political pawns.
Cuomo and his ilk have shown their true colors.
He also has shown his anti Semitic leaning’s.
He is no friend of ours.
So sad that he made this into a political issue.
Instead of deciding who muuuust get it and whennnn.
Or maybe hand them out at the next protest
We all knew corona would end as soon as Trump left office.
the chutzpah, cuomo is lucky he isnt in jail