A Standoff Over Science: Trump Vs. The CDC

(NBC News) In a standoff over science, the White House is digging in against Centers for Disease Control Director Dr. Robert Redfield, who predicted a coronavirus vaccine won’t be widely available for most Americans until the middle of next year.

“While Dr. Redfield may have a timeline in mind, to my knowledge he hasn’t had intimate discussions with those processes,” White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Thursday.

Meadows suggests the CDC has been on the sidelines as pharmaceutical companies race to develop a vaccine, echoing the president’s surprising remarks from Wednesday about one of his own top health officials.

“I think he made a mistake when he said that. It’s just incorrect information,” President Trump said of Redfield’s prediction.

The Trump administration insists a vaccine could be announced as early as next month, with 100 million doses distributed immediately to front-line workers and the most vulnerable.

A new NBC News/Survey Monkey poll finds just 26 percent of Americans trust what the president has said about a vaccine.

Read more: https://nbcnews.to/3mFor5w