Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) is singing a different tune after President Trump called out the governor for his plans to hold up distribution of a lifesaving vaccine for the Wuhan coronavirus. Cuomo said on Sunday that he now plans to sue the Trump administration over its plans to distribute the vaccine in order to make sure New Yorkers receive the lifesaving drug.
"I tell you today, if the Trump administration does not change this plan and does not provide an equitable vaccine process, we will enforce our legal rights. We will bring legal action to protect New Yorkers," said the governor on Sunday.
On Saturday, Cuomo told MSNBC that he now plans to administer the drug as soon as the state receives it.
"As soon as Trump delivers me a dose, I will be ready to administer it," Cuomo said.
The governor previously said that he would hold up distributing a vaccine to New Yorkers while the state assembles a panel of independent experts to review the vaccine themselves. Cuomo has repeatedly cast aspersions on the oversight process and called into question the safety and efficacy of a Trump vaccine.
The governor's reversal comes after President Trump called out the insular governor on Friday, imploring Cuomo to authorize distribution of the vaccine so that New Yorkers – who have suffered the second-highest number of deaths per capita out of the 50 states under Cuomo, second only to New Jersey – can finally catch a break.
....We cannot waste time and can only give to those states that will use the Vaccine immediately. Therefore the New York delay. Many lives to be saved, but we are ready when they are. Stop playing politics!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 14, 2020
If Cuomo was trying to kill off New Yorkers during the pandemic, it's hard to imagine what he might do differently. Enough people have died in New York already due to the governor's short sightedness. Thankfully, President Trump has been working tirelessly to fast track the development and distribution of a vaccine with the potential to save countless lives.
Through participation in the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed, Pfizer has developed a vaccine that has so far shown a 90 percent-plus success rate at preventing COVID-19 infections. To put that in perspective, the flu shot for the 2018-2019 season was only 29 percent effective. The Food and Drug Administration only requires a coronavirus vaccine to demonstrate effectiveness above 50 percent.
Thanks to the president, a vaccine that typically takes years to go through the approval process will soon be available to Americans in a matter of months.