Biden Reassures Americans ‘There Is No Political Influence’ Surrounding the COVID-19 Vaccine

President-elect Joe Biden is reminding Americans they can put their trust in the COVID-19 vaccine.

Biden noted while delivering remarks Friday the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working to issue emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.

“We’re just as grateful to the scientists and the public experts who evaluated its safety and efficiency free from political influence. I want to make it clear to the public, you should have confidence in this. There is no political influence,” Biden said.

He added, “These are first-rate scientists taking their time, looking at all of the elements that need to be looked at. Scientific integrity led us to this point. We know the immense challenges and hard work ahead.”

Watch his comments below:

The government is working to obtain 100 million additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine, as IJR previously reported.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar suggested Americans could begin getting vaccinated next week.

“In the next couple days…we should be seeing the authorization of this first vaccine, and, as you just said, we will work with Pfizer to get that shipped out. And so we could be seeing people getting vaccinated Monday, Tuesday of next week,” Azar said in an appearance on “Good Morning America” Friday.

Biden said Tuesday he plans to vaccinate 100 million Americans in his first 100 days in office, as IJR previously reported.

Biden told reporters in Wilmington, Delaware last week he does not believe the vaccine should be mandatory, as IJR previously reported.

“I don’t think it should be mandatory. I wouldn’t demand it to be mandatory…Just like I don’t think masks have to be made mandatory nationwide,” Biden said.

He continued, “I’ll do everything in my power as president of the United States to encourage people to do the right thing — and when they do it, demonstrate that it matters.”