Secretary of Health and Human Services visits Boston to see COVID-19 response programs

>> THE SECRETARY TELLING US THAT TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HOPES TO HAVE A VACCINE BY EARLY NEXT YEAR, WITH MILLIONS OF DOSES READY TO GO. PICTURES TWEETED BY HEALTH AND HUMAN SECRETARY ALEX AZAR OF HIS VISIT WITH GOVERNOR BAKER THE TWO TALKING TREATMENTS AND VACCINES, SOMETHING BETH ISRAEL IS WORKING ON. WE HAVE SET A GOAL, AN AMBITIOUS GOAL, OF EARLY NEXT YEAR FOR HAVING 300 MILLION DOSES FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE -- AMERICAN PEOPLE. >> TO FAST-TRACK A VACCINE, THE SECRETARY SAYS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS CUTTING WHAT HE CALLS INEFFICIENCIES OUT OF THE SYSTEM. >> WHAT WE’RE GOING TO BE DOING IS GOING AT RISK AND MANUFACTURING A VACCINE EVEN BEFORE WE KNOW WE HAVE A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE VACCINE. THAT WAY IF WE GET FDA APPROVAL, OR A DRUG OR AUTHORIZATION OF A VACCINE, WE WILL HAVE THE PRODUCT READY TO ADMINISTER. >> HE’S GLAD THE FEDS HAVE STEPPED UP AND INVESTED IN TREATMENTS. >> WE’VE BEEN SAYING FOR A WHILE THAT THE FEDS HAVE MORE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO THEM TO PUT THEIR FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR WITH RESPECT TO TREATMENTS AND VACCINES THAN ANYBODY ELSE. >> THE SECRETARY ALSO SAYS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS WORKING ON A SO CALLED NEXT GENERATION STRATEGIC NATIONAL STOCKPILE, OF PPE, BUT ADDED STATES ALSO NEED TO STEP UP. >> OF COURSE STATES, LOCALS, AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAVE TO BE ON THE FRONT LINES AND RESPONSIBLY BUILD UP THEIR OWN SURPLUSES -- SURPLUSES. >> THE SECRETARY ALSO SAYING IT’S TOO SOON TO TELL WHAT THE IMPACT OF NATIONWIDE PROTESTS WILL BE ON THE VIRUS SPREAD. >> THEY COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM TWO TO FOUR WEEKS. >> SECRETARY AZAR ENCOURAGED WEARING A MASK AND SOC

The federal government's push to have a COVID-19 vaccine ready next year involves "pulling the inefficiency out" of drug development timelines, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said during a visit to Boston Friday.Azar joined Gov. Charlie Baker to tour operations at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.Baker said work towards a vaccine that Beth Israel has been doing with Johnson & Johnson "provides a significant amount of optimism to all of us who are looking for both treatments and vaccines as a big part of how we -- not only here in Massachusetts but around the country and across the globe -- deal with COVID-19 as we go forward."Azar said the federal government has set an "ambitious goal" of having 300 million doses of a vaccine by early next year.Azar said it's still too early to tell what impacts that state reopening measures, the Memorial Day holiday weekend, and the recent string of large protests against racism and police brutality have had on the spread of the virus. He encouraged demonstrators to cover their faces and practice social distancing and said he wanted "to emphasize that peaceful protesting is a vital part of our American democracy and we've got to support that and defend that."He reiterated President Donald Trump's intention to leave the World Health Organization and said the federal government is working to build a "next generation strategic national stockpile" that will have all of the inventory needed for a pandemic.

BOSTON —

Azar joined Gov. Charlie Baker to tour operations at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Baker said work towards a vaccine that Beth Israel has been doing with Johnson & Johnson "provides a significant amount of optimism to all of us who are looking for both treatments and vaccines as a big part of how we -- not only here in Massachusetts but around the country and across the globe -- deal with COVID-19 as we go forward."

Azar said the federal government has set an "ambitious goal" of having 300 million doses of a vaccine by early next year.

Azar said it's still too early to tell what impacts that state reopening measures, the Memorial Day holiday weekend, and the recent string of large protests against racism and police brutality have had on the spread of the virus. He encouraged demonstrators to cover their faces and practice social distancing and said he wanted "to emphasize that peaceful protesting is a vital part of our American democracy and we've got to support that and defend that."

He reiterated President Donald Trump's intention to leave the World Health Organization and said the federal government is working to build a "next generation strategic national stockpile" that will have all of the inventory needed for a pandemic.

Secretary of Health and Human Services visits Boston to see COVID-19 response programs

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