Chief adviser to Operation Warp Speed: Coronavirus vaccine is safe, effective

close

Video

Operation Warp Speed chief adviser: Any hesitation from Americans about taking coronavirus vaccine is 'concerning'

Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief adviser to Operation Warp Speed, tells "America's Newsroom" that the U.S. is committed to immunizing the U.S. population by the end of 2021 and addresses public fears about the vaccinations.

Dr. Moncef Slaoui said the coronavirus vaccines spearheaded by Operation Warp Speed were "safe and effective" on Tuesday, as he sought to address hesitations by some Americans about the immunizations.

Slaoui, who serves as chief medical adviser to the Trump administration's vaccination effort, said he was so confident in the vaccines that he would make sure his 8-year-old son took it.

"I will make sure he has it," he said on "America’s Newsroom.” "I will take the vaccine as soon as it is approved, if I am authorized to do so.  And, you know, those are the levels of confidence that I have, the people I love most on the Earth. I’ll make sure they get the vaccine because I know the data. I know it is safe and effective.”

Slaoui said that the vaccine production process was conducted “faster” than usual but without cutting corners.

“We took advantage of technological advances that happened over the last 10 years," he said. "We took financial risks, operational risks, we did larger trials than what is needed. Those are the things that allowed us to go very fast."

 PFIZER'S CORONAVIRUS VACCINE FIRST UK RECIPIENTS DETAIL EXPERIENCES

In the United Kingdom, a 90-year-old woman became the first person to receive Pfizer’s recently approved coronavirus jab this week, calling herself "privileged" to get it.

Around 800,000 doses of the vaccine were expected to be in place for the start of the immunization program on Tuesday, a day that Health Secretary Matt Hancock has dubbed “V-Day" as a nod to triumphs in World War II. The first doses will go to nursing home staff and people over 80, as well as health and social care workers, according to the National Health Services website.  

Video

Slaoui vowed transparency of the vaccine production by “making all data available” and then reviewed by experts in order to be explained to the population.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Hopefully, people have different experts that they may trust. I ask people to just keep your mind open. Please. Do not come to a conclusion if you have not been exposed to the data.” 

Fox News' Kayla Rivas contributed to this report.