In Tawian, Azar Says Any U.S. Vaccine Would Be Shared Once U.S. Needs Met

U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar said on Monday that any U.S. vaccine or treatment for COVID-19 would be shared fairly with the rest of the world, once the U.S. need has been satisfied.

There are more than 200 COVID-19 vaccine candidates in development around the world, including more than 20 in human clinical trials. President Donald Trump has vowed to have a shot ready before year’s end, though they typically take several years to develop and test for safety and effectiveness.

“Our first priority of course is to develop and produce enough quantity of safe and effective FDA-approved vaccines and therapeutics for use in the United States,” Azar told reporters while on a visit to Taiwan.

“But we anticipate having capacity that, once those needs are satisfied, those products would be available in the world community according to fair and equitable distributions that we would consult in the international community on.”