President Donald Trump sent out a tweet on Monday to remind us that the Moderna’s experimental vaccine was 94.5% effective in preventing coronavirus based on interim data from a late-stage clinical trial,
“Another Vaccine just announced. This time by Moderna, 95% effective,” the president wrote. “For those great ‘historians’, please remember that these great discoveries, which will end the China Plague, all took place on my watch!”
Another Vaccine just announced. This time by Moderna, 95% effective. For those great “historians”, please remember that these great discoveries, which will end the China Plague, all took place on my watch!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2020
As part of “Operation Warp Speed,” the Trump administration awarded a $1.5 billion contract to Moderna in August 2020 to develop and deliver at least 100 million vaccine doses, the Blaze reported.
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel gave Trump kudo’s saying that the Trump administration was a key part of accelerating the company’s progress in developing the vaccine.
However, World Health Organization head Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus still warned that “A vaccine on its own, will not end the pandemic,” Forbes reported.
He stressed that while this should hopefully relieve pressure on healthcare systems and reduce deaths, “the virus will still have a lot (of) room to move,” adding that “We still have a long road to travel.”
Tedros went on to say said that even with a vaccine, it will be crucial to continue measures currently being used such as contact tracing, testing, surveillance, and isolating cases, as well as encouraging communities and individuals to be careful.
