Anger as Trump alleged to have offered $1bn for German coronavirus vaccine
US president reportedly tried to secure exclusive control of vaccine supply
President Donald Trump has prompted anger after reportedly offering a German medical company “large sums of money” for exclusive rights to a future coronavirus vaccine.
According to Germany’s Welt am Sonntag, the US president offered $1bn (£809m) to biopharmaceutical company CureVac to secure the vaccine “only for the United States”.
However, in a press release, the company rejected “any claims on a possible sale of the company or its technology”.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Head of the company’s biggest investor, Christof Hettich, added that an exclusive contract with the US was out of the question, adding: “We want to develop a vaccine for the whole world and not individual countries.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Get your first six issues for £6–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Responding the news of Trump’s alleged offer, German economic minister, Peter Altmaier, warned the president that “Germany is not for sale”. The Guardian reports that German health minister, Jens Spahn, added that exclusive access to the vaccine for the Trump administration was “off the table”.
In the US, immigration lawyer Greg Siskind tweeted that Trump’s move to poach the vaccine from an apparently allied nation was “basically declaring war on the world”.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The New York Times reports that two senior American officials claim German news accounts have been “overblown”, specifically referencing “any effort by the United States to secure exclusive access to a vaccine”.
However, Deutsche Welle adds that Germany’s interior minister, Horst Seehofer, said that crisis meetings with ministers today will include discussion of a German defence strategy for the firm.
CureVac was founded 20 years ago by scientists at Tübingen University, with The Times reporting that the firm is privately owned and has raised at least €360m (£324m) from investors including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The company hopes to have an experimental vaccine developed by June or July, and then to secure approval for testing on people.
Reporting on Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic so far, CNN said that the president has “performed in such an underwhelming fashion that you have to wonder whether something is wrong”.
-
A journey through Trinidad’s wild heartThe Week Recommends Experience the island’s natural wonders, from watching baby turtles hatch to visiting an ancient bat cave
-
Will latest Russian sanctions finally break Putin’s resolve?Today's Big Question New restrictions have been described as a ‘punch to the gut of Moscow’s war economy’
-
Quiz of The Week: 18 – 24 OctoberQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news?
-
Trump wants to exert control over federal architectureThe Explainer Beyond his ballroom, Trump has several other architectural plans in mind
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Whistles emerge as Chicago’s tool to fight ICEIN THE SPOTLIGHT As federal agents continue raiding the city, communities have turned to noisemakers to create a warning system
-
Will California’s Proposition 50 kill gerrymandering reform?Talking Points Or is opposing Trump the greater priority for voters?
-
‘The trickle of shutdowns could soon become a flood’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Bailouts: Why Trump is rescuing ArgentinaFeature The White House approved a $20 billion currency swap with Argentina