A leaked draft of a Pentagon memo has cast doubt on President Donald Trump’s insistence that a coronavirus vaccine will be ready by the end of the year.
Trump has frequently boasted about the creation of a vaccine, which he is desperate for because the coronavirus has been a disaster for him politically as more than 90,000 Americans have died on his watch and around 1.5 million are infected — after he previously claimed that the virus would magically go away and that the original 15 cases in the United States would soon drop to zero.
That did not happen, and Trump’s reckless and incompetent response to the pandemic has been sharply criticized ever since.
But Trump’s desire for a quick vaccine has not only been shot down by Dr. Anthony Fauci, but even the Pentagon also recognizes that it could a lot longer before one is available.
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Task & Purpose obtained a Department of Defense draft memo indicating that the wait for the vaccine may not end until “at least the summer of 2021.”
“We have a long path ahead, with the real possibility of a resurgence of COVID-19,” Secretary of Defense Mark Esper wrote. “Therefore, we must now re-focus our attention on resuming critical missions, increasing levels of activity, and making necessary preparations should a significant resurgence of COVID-19 occur later this year.”
Of course, the virus is already surging in the United States because Trump and his Republican allies are forcing states to re-open earlier than health experts recommend, with red states being hit the hardest.
“All indications suggest we will be operating in a globally-persistent COVID-19 environment in the months ahead,” the memo continued. “This will likely continue until there is wide-scale immunity, through immunization, and some immunity post-recovery from the virus.”
Again, it could be many months and well into next year before we have a vaccine. And despite what many conservatives claim, one does not build immunity to this virus as it can and has been contracted by people a second time.
Pentagon spokespersons claim that the memo is outdated but have not provided any updated information.
Until a vaccine is widely available for everyone, Americans would be wise to continue practicing social distancing and stay at home as much as possible. Besides, the Pentagon is more trustworthy than Trump anyway.
Featured image via screen capture
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