Trump accuses FDA and Democrats of holding back Covid vaccine until after election

Pfizer announced drug success days after president defeated

Donald Trump has accused the FDA and Democrats of holding back a Covid-19 vaccine until after the election.

Mr Trump took to Twitter to attack his opponents and accuse them of manipulating the virus response to harm his re-election chances.

On Monday drug maker Pfizer announced that early data from its coronavirus vaccine trial shows it is more than 90 per cent effective.

The news came just days after Mr Trump was beaten at the polls by president-elect Joe Biden.

“The @US_FDA and the Democrats didn’t want to have me get a Vaccine WIN, prior to the election, so instead it came out five days later – As I’ve said all along!” Mr Trump wrote on Twitter.

The company says it will have enough doses of the vaccine to give to between 15 million and 20 million people by the end of the year. 

Mr Trump had repeatedly said on the campaign trail that a vaccine would be ready by election day.

“This is a historical moment,” said Kathrin Jansen, a senior vice president and the head of vaccine research and development at Pfizer.

 "This was a devastating situation, a pandemic, and we have embarked on a path and a goal that nobody ever has achieved — to come up with a vaccine within a year."

Pfizer have denied any allegations that politics played a part in the timing of their announcement. 

More than 74 million Americans cast votes for president-elect Joe Biden, while more than 70 million voted for Mr Trump, with 65 per cent of eligible voters taking part in the election.

Mr Biden’s victory was achieved by rebuilding the “blue wall” of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, while flipping the battleground states of Arizona and Georgia.

His victory in Georgia is narrow enough that it will require a recount.