US working with India on Covid-19 vaccine project: Trump

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New York, May 15 (IANS) Launching "Operation Warp Speed" to ready a vaccine against Covid-19 by the end of the year, President Donald Trump said on Friday the US was working with India on the project.

"We are working very closely also with India," Trump said while speaking to reporters when he unveiled the project at the White House.

He also acknowledged the work of Indian-Americans on vaccine development projects.

There is a "tremendous Indian population in the United States, many of the people you are talking about are working on the vaccine too. Great scientists and researchers," he said.

Trump, who recalled his February visit to India, ended his comment on India saying, "Say hello to your Prime Minister!"

Earlier, he said that India and other countries would have access to any vaccine or therapy developed by the US.

He said that the US and companies were not seeking to make a profit out of the crisis and wanted to make them available to all.

Trump said that the goal of "Operation Warp Speed" was to try to have a vaccine ready by the end of the year.

"We would love to see if we could do it prior to the end of the year," he said.

He said that Moncef Slaoui, who is the former head of GlaxoSmithKline vaccines division, would head the project with General Gustave Perna looking after the logistics.

Trump said that the vaccine would be available to all who wanted it and the military, the other arms of the government and the private sector would be fully mobilised to get them out.

The best candidates of the several under development would be made ready in advance and would go out as soon one gets approved.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis)

--IANS

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