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Trump says coronavirus therapy drugs 'more important' than vaccine despite $1.6bn investment to inoculate

Trump in front of Mount Rushmore at South Dakota's Independence Day event: Reuters
Trump in front of Mount Rushmore at South Dakota's Independence Day event: Reuters

Donald Trump on Tuesday called therapeutic drugs to treat coronavirus "more important" than a vaccine just hours after his administration cut a $1.6bn deal to give taxpayer funds to a Maryland company that has never brought a product to market to develop 100m does of a vaccine.

Therapeutic medicines "get you better," he said after his administration struck its largest deal yet towards vaccine development, this time with an unproven company. He ignored the fact that a proven vaccine would make Americans immune from catching and spreading the disease.

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