Trump Hopeful For Coronavirus Vaccine By Year's End

WASHINGTON, DC — President Donald Trump on Friday said he's hopeful a coronavirus vaccine will be on the market by year's end or shortly after. Trump talked about the latest vaccine developments during a Rose Garden event at the White House.

Moncep Slaoui, a former pharmaceutical executive who Trump has tapped to serve as the administration’s virus czar, also spoke at the briefing. Slaoui said early trial data suggests that “a few hundred million doses of vaccine” will be delivered by late 2020, according to The Associated Press.

Trump also used the opportunity to reiterate that he wants to see states move on reopening their economies.

“We are back, vaccine or no vaccine,” Trump said.

A day prior, Trump said he is mobilizing the U.S. military to deliver the vaccine once available, Reuters reported. The first priority will be getting the vaccine to older Americans.

“You know it’s a massive job to give this vaccine,” Trump said in an interview broadcast Thursday on Fox Business Network. “Our military is now being mobilized so at the end of the year, we’re going to be able to give it to a lot of people very, very rapidly.”