Trump: Covid-19 vaccine will be available to all except NYS

Rochester, NY – President Donald Trump talking in the Rose Garden claimed a COVID vaccine will be available to all except New York state, at least not right away, because Governor Andrew Cuomo had said he’d get his own experts to examine the vaccine before distribution.

The president’s comments on the vaccine’s availability are drawing reactions from Governor Cuomo and local leaders in the Finger Lakes area.

“For political reasons, the governor decided to say, and I don’t think it’s good politically. I think it’s bad from a public health stand point, he wants to take his time on the vaccine, he doesn’t trust where the vaccine is coming from,” said President Donald Trump.

Governor Andrew Cuomo responded in a CNN segment, saying New York among other states will simply have a separate scientific panel review the vaccine a second time before it will be available in the state – a process he says that won’t delay the distribution.

“It has to be done because you have half the American people saying they don’t trust the approval process,” the governor said. “Who’s going to put a needle in their arm if you don’t trust the approval process of the vaccine?”

Congressman Joe Morelle, a democrat representing New York’s 25th district, called the comments illegal, in a statement saying:

“This claim would be absurd coming from anyone, let alone the President of the United States. It is not only patently false, it’s illegal, and we won’t let it happen.”-Congressman Joe Morelle

The President says the vaccine will be available to the general population in April, months after President-Elect Joe Biden takes office which could make this back-and-forth, moot