President Trump hopeful to have vaccine by end of year

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday that he’s hopeful to have a coronavirus vaccine on the market by the end of the year or shortly thereafter.

Moncep Slaoui, a former pharmaceutical executive who President Trump has tapped to serve as the administration’s virus czar, said that early trial data suggests that “a few hundred million doses of vaccine” will be delivered by late 2020.

President Trump, speaking at a Rose Garden event, reiterated that he wants to see states move forward with reopening their economies.

“We are back, vaccine or no vaccine,” he said.