Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Wednesday wouldn’t guarantee a possible coronavirus vaccine could be affordable for many Americans, sparking outrage from Democrats.
“We’d want to make sure we work to ensure it is cheap, but we can not control that cost, since we want the private industry to spend,” Azar informed members of Congress.
On Monday the president asked Congress for $2.5 billion in financing to fight the coronavirus – greater than $1 billion of the funding will be designated for vaccine development.
Democratic leaders criticized the president’s petition as”anemic” and insufficient.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Wednesday wouldn’t guarantee a possible coronavirus vaccine could be affordable for many Americans.
“We’d want to make sure we work to ensure it is economical, but we can not control that cost, since we want the private industry to spend,” Azar educated members of Congress during a hearing regarding the coronavirus outbreak along with the government’s budget request. “Price controls will not get us .”
Other critics and democrats condemned Azar.
“Secretary Azar is not able to guarantee a Coronavirus vaccine will likely be affordable to every American. Kick them from office,” Sen. Brian Schatz, a Hawaii Democrat, tweeted Wednesday evening.
The innovative band Center for American Progress tweeted, “That really is really a worldwide health catastrophe, and everybody should be able to medicine which will help shield them from the virus”
It’s estimated any vaccine is still months off, while private and government investigators around the globe are working to create a vaccine to the virus. The most effective preventative measure is regular.