The US Doesn't Want To Join The WHO-Led Global COVID-19 Vaccine Provision Program

Donald Trump (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - The United States (US) will not participate in efforts to develop and procure the COVID-19 vaccine globally. The reason is because these efforts were initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Launched CNN, Wednesday, September 2, the decision came amid a lot of criticism of the US in dealing with COVID-19. Now the cases of COVID-19 in the US have reached 6 million. That leaves the US isolated from more than 170 countries involved in the COVAX initiative that seeks to provide an effective vaccine worldwide.

"The US will continue to engage international partners to ensure we defeat this virus, but we will not be constrained by multilateral organizations influenced by WHO and corrupt China," White House Spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement.

As well as underscoring Trump's distrust of the global alliance in particular the WHO, the decision marks an important stake on the US government's Operation Warp Speed program. The program aims to accelerate the development of drugs and other measures to combat the pandemic, including vaccine development.

In this program, four COVID-19 vaccines are being developed. Two vaccines are currently in Phase III trials and two more will only begin Phase III trials in mid-September.

"Under President Trump's leadership, vaccine and therapeutic research, development, and testing have advanced at an unprecedented pace to produce innovative and effective drugs that are driven by data and safety and not hindered by government bureaucracy," said Deere. .

Avoid WHO

Trump has long avoided global alliances in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also increasingly blames others, including China and the WHO, amid scrutiny of his own administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In July, the Trump administration notified Congress and the United Nations (UN) that the US was officially withdrawing from WHO. It has drawn criticism from members of bipartisan parliament, medical associations, advocacy organizations and allies abroad. But the Democratic presidential candidate for the US, Joe Biden, promised to cancel the decision if elected later.

Critics also question whether the WHO is independent enough, given China's rising wealth and power. WHO is considered to have given excessive praise for China's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chinese side has defended itself, saying they are capable of taking initial action in fighting COVID-19. They also claim to have recorded and exposed many unknown things about the virus in January.