U.S. refuses to join 170 countries teaming up to produce a coronavirus vaccine


The U.S. isn't interested in the rest of the world's brainpower — and manufacturing power — when it comes to developing a COVID-19 vaccine.
More than 170 countries are considering joining the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, or Covax, aimed at quickly developing a coronavirus vaccine and distributing it to the most vulnerable populations. But the Trump administration said Tuesday it won't be joining them, in part because the World Health Organization is helping to lead the coalition, The Washington Post reports.
Several U.S. allies, including Japan and Germany, are on board to join the program led by the WHO, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and the vaccine alliance Gavi. But the U.S. is still seemingly blaming China and the WHO for coronavirus' global spread and is taking it out on Covax. White House spokesperson Judd Deere said the U.S. would work with other countries in its vaccine development efforts, "but we will not be constrained by multilateral organizations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organization and China."
Subscribe to 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.
The decision is in line with Trump's "America first" mentality, the Post reports, just like its decision to withdraw from the WHO in the first place. It suggests the U.S. is confident it will develop a vaccine early, and would rather not put its confidence in other countries or necessarily share whatever vaccine it develops with them. But "just from a simple risk management perspective, this is shortsighted," Kendall Hoyt, an assistant professor at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine, said, likening it to "opting out of an insurance policy."
Suerie Moon, the co-director of the Global Health Center at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, added that this "will have political repercussions beyond public health." It'll show the rest of the world whether the U.S. is "a reliable partner," or if America's mentality is about "keep[ing] all your toys for yourself."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
July 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include new TSA rules, FEMA cuts, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy complimenting Donald Trump's new wardrobe
-
5 weather-beaten cartoons about the Texas floods
Cartoons Artists take on funding cuts, politicizing tragedy, and more
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?
The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year high
Speed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, change
Speed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panel
speed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last year
speed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive order
speed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measles
Speed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths