Biden acknowledged Trump’s role in the vaccine rollout as he urged skeptics to get the shot

• Biden acknowledged Trump’s role in the US’s successful coronavirus vaccination program.
• He noted that vaccines were authorized under Trump, and credited both parties.
• Biden is trying to boost vaccine take-up, and Republicans are less likely to get the shot.
• See more stories on Insider’s business page.

President Joe Biden acknowledged former President Donald Trump’s role in the coronavirus vaccine rollout as he encouraged more people to get vaccinated.

He said on Wednesday, according to CNN: “The science was done under Democratic and Republican administrations. Matter of fact, the first vaccines were authorized under a Republican president and widely developed by a Democratic president.”

Biden is trying to reach his target of getting one dose of a vaccine to at least 70% of Americans by July 4.

Republicans and Trump supporters have been less likely to get vaccinated.

Trump and his allies have complained that he doesn’t get enough credit for the US success in manufacturing and administering vaccines.

The Moderna vaccine was a major beneficiary of the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed program. The former president also tried to take credit for the Pfizer vaccine, though that drugmaker did not take part in the program.