New York: Medical journal The Lancet’s Chief editor has refuted the statements of US President Donald Trump where he claimed that a Covid-19 vaccine will be finalized and produced by the end of October. ALSO READ | India To Get Coronavirus Vaccine Soon, Bharat Biotech Ready To Conduct 'Covaxin' Phase II Trials


In a Skype interview with CNN, Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet, clarified that a vaccine will not be available for public use by the end of October and President Trump is simply wrong about the same.

"If we make a mistake and license a vaccine too early - just think - we have already got a growing anti-vaccine movement, which is extremely disturbing. We can't cut corners. There will not be a vaccine available for public use by the end of October," Horton was quoted as saying to CNN.

"President Trump is simply wrong about that. I have no understanding of why he is saying it. Because his advisers will surely be telling him that that's just impossible," Horton added.

Horton also called the results of a Russian-developed vaccine "encouraging" but again cautioned that it would be "highly premature to think that this is the basis for a successful vaccine for public use," because its study involved a very small number of volunteers.

Horton is not the only one to refute Trump's statement for a U.S. coronavirus vaccine. Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris also came down heavily on Trump, saying she will not trust the president's claims on the safety of any coronavirus vaccine approved for use in America before the November election.

(With Agency Inputs)

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