President Donald Trump on Monday cast doubt on the COVID-19 vaccines developed under his administration, claiming the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is being “ripped apart” by internal debate over the shots’ effectiveness.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump demanded that pharmaceutical companies publicly prove their vaccines are effective, questioning whether crucial data was being withheld. He acknowledged seeing “great numbers and results” but insisted on immediate public disclosure.
“I want them to show them NOW, to CDC and the public, and clear up this MESS, one way or the other!!!” Trump wrote. “I hope OPERATION WARP SPEED was as ‘BRILLIANT’ as many say it was. If not, we all want to know about it, and why???”
The comments mark Trump’s first public statement on the CDC since the abrupt firing of its director, Dr. Susan Monarez, on Wednesday after less than a month in the role. The dismissal followed a dispute over vaccine policy.
Trump’s statement highlights his continued effort to balance taking credit for the rapid vaccine development during his first term with appealing to the vaccine skepticism prevalent among his base. This stance aligns him with his Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent critic of vaccine mandates.
“Many people think they are a miracle that saved Millions of lives. Others disagree! With CDC being ripped apart over this question, I want the answer, and I want it NOW,” Trump wrote.
Despite the President’s claims, pharmaceutical companies and the CDC regularly publish extensive data on vaccine effectiveness and safety through scientific presentations, peer-reviewed publications, and public health communications. This information guides both clinical recommendations and individual healthcare decisions.
A White House spokesman, Kush Desai, did not specify what data Trump was seeking but stated, “The only driving principle of health decision-making in this Administration is Gold Standard Science.” He added that federal health agencies “will continue to take an evidence-based approach to evaluate pharmaceutical treatments.”
The controversy follows a recent US Food and Drug Administration announcement that it would narrow its approval for the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, FDA commissioner Marty Makary defended the decision, arguing that manufacturers have not justified the need for the vaccine in healthy individuals under 65.
While Trump recently praised Operation Warp Speed as “one of the greatest achievements ever,” he has fully supported Kennedy’s overhaul of the government’s vaccine approach. This included approving the firing of Monarez after she reportedly refused to endorse recommendations from a Kennedy-appointed panel of advisers, some of whom have previously questioned the safety of established vaccines.
Monarez’s ouster has thrown the CDC into crisis, prompting the resignations of four other senior officials. They have since accused Kennedy and his allies of sidelining agency scientists to advance policies that could restrict access to standard immunizations.
Source link
