Medical journal The Lancet's chief editor has said that that President Donald Trump is 'simply wrong' about a COVID-19 vaccine being delivered by end of October.
Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet made this comment at a Skype interview with CNN.
"If we make a mistake and licence a vaccine too early - just think - we have already got a growing anti-vaccine movement, which is extremely disturbing. We can`t cut corners. There will not be a vaccine available for public use by the end of October," CNN quoted Horton as saying.
"President Trump is simply wrong about that. I have no understanding why he is saying it. Because his advisers will surely be telling him that that`s just impossible," Horton added.
Talking about the world's first COVID-19 vaccine developed by Russia, he said that the results are "encouraging" but it would be "highly premature" to dole out the vaccine for public use at such an early stage.
Moreover, Democratic U.S. vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris said she would not take President Donald Trump's word alone on any potential coronavirus vaccine.
In an interview excerpt broadcast by CNN on Saturday, Harris said Trump had a track record of suppressing expert opinion about the coronavirus pandemic and that she worried that might happen again in the case of a prospective vaccine.
"I would not trust Donald Trump," Harris said, saying she would be convinced of the efficacy of a vaccine only if someone credible were vouching for it as well.
"I will not take his word for it."
At least 6.2 million people have been infected in the U.S. coronavirus outbreak, which has taken 187,833 lives, according to a Reuters tally.
With the government's handling of the outbreak of the disease under close scrutiny, Trump has floated the possibility that a vaccine might be ready ahead of the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election.
But Trump has a track record of flouting scientific advice and some experts are skeptical that vaccine trials, which have to study potential side effects on a wide range of people before they can deliver a verdict, can be completed by late this year or even early next year.
