This archive report was first published on 16 May 2020.
On May 15, 2020, US President Donald Trump unveiled a plan to expedite the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, dubbed "Warp Speed." The initiative aims to identify and distribute a vaccine as quickly as possible, with the goal of making it available by 2020.
According to Trump, the scheme will begin by experts studying 14 potential vaccine candidates to speed up research and approval. He also announced that the US is prepared to reopen with or without a vaccine, stating, "I don't want people to think this is all dependent on a vaccine."
However, many experts have expressed skepticism about the feasibility of this timeline, citing the complexity of developing an effective vaccine for COVID-19. "So far, many experts in America still believe that it would take at least a year to develop an effective vaccine for coronavirus," said a statement from the scientific community.
Despite these concerns, Trump remains optimistic about the prospects of a vaccine, and has even suggested that schools could reopen in the fall, even before a vaccine is available. "I think the schools should be back in the fall," he added.
