Politics

REPORT: Trump’s Push To Hurry COVID-19 Vaccine Is Called ‘Operation Warp Speed’

(Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Anders Hagstrom White House Correspondent
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President Donald Trump has reportedly created a group of private and public sector experts to drastically shorten the process of creating a coronavirus vaccine, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

The project, known as ‘Operation Warp Speed,’ seeks to shorten Dr. Anthony Fauci’s projected 12-18 month process of finding a suitable vaccine. The group features experts from pharmaceutical companies, the military, and government officials, according to Bloomberg. The group’s objective is to have 100 million vaccine doses prepared by the end of 2020.

The 12-18 month estimate for developing a vaccine would already have been a world-record pace, as healthcare systems across the world are contributing to the effort. (RELATED: ‘Blatant Xenophobia’: Democrats, Critics Fume Over Trump’s Pending Immigration Ban)

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 13: Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases speaks as President Donald Trump listens during the daily briefing of the White House Coronavirus Task Force at the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House April 13, 2020 in Washington, DC. On Monday President Trump tweeted that he will be the one to make the decision to re-open the states in conjunction with the Governors and input from others. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The development process is lengthy and expensive, however, and promised vaccines often end up missing the mark. This is why one of the operation’s critical advantages is reportedly that the U.S. government will cover much of the cost the leading pharma companies take on. (RELATED: Asked Whether China Censored Early Coronavirus Data, Senior WHO Official Said He ‘Didn’t Look’)

Trump is eager to bring an end to the pandemic and the economic disaster that has come along with it. A coronavirus vaccine is far and away the most effective means of controlling the disease and allowing Americans to return to fully normal life, as many have balked at the prospect of social distancing measures lasting up to 18 months.

The White House initiative reportedly hopes to cut that down by up to eight months. White House officials did not respond by publishing time to a request for comment on the existence of the operation.