Operation Warp Speed’s chief scientific adviser admitted on Monday that there was a “delay” in the administration of coronavirus vaccines, but defended the federal government’s handling of its spread.
Moncef Slaoui initially said on CNN’s “New Day” that “nothing went wrong” in the vaccination process.
“What we have committed to is to make 20 million doses of vaccine available to the American people to be vaccinated,” he added.
“We agree that there is a delay in vaccinations,” said Moncef Slaoui, head of the White House vaccine. “Of course, I wish we had vaccinated 20 million. We worked day and night to make these vaccines available, and we will continue to work day and night to get them vaccinated.” pic.twitter.com/8z4lMnPymv
– New Day (@NewDay) 4 January 2021
CNN’s Alisyn Camerota then noted that Trump administration officials, and Slaoui himself, had specifically projected that 20 million Americans had been vaccinated at this point. Slaoui quoted the doses sent to states as admitting “it is lower than we had hoped.”
“We agree that there is a delay,” Slaoui said. “We will work with the states. We need specific requests for help … Of course I wish we had vaccinated 20 million. We worked day and night to get it. vaccines available and we will continue to work day and night to get them immunized. ‘
When Camerota once again noticed Slaoui’s earlier projection, he insisted that Operation ‘Warp Speed’ had hoped that many Americans had been vaccinated by this stage and had pushed back her characterization of him as ‘was’. [his] hands of it. ”
The exchange tested because Slaoui accused CNN of having the idea by 2020 that a vaccine was ready. Camerota finally asked him what the federal government’s plan was to improve the vaccinations.
“Work with the states,” Slaoui replied. “We can not decide where to help them. We have so far made the strategic decision to work through the states … no state health department has told us this is the wrong approach. ”