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'''Operation Warp Speed''' was a [[Trump Administration]] era program that enabled for the swift development, production and delivery of vaccines that were to be used to inoculate the population against the [[COVID-19]] "China Virus" pandemic that struck the [[United States]] in 2020.  Officially announced on May 15, 2020, [[President Trump]] unveiled details of a "warp-speed" effort to create a [[Coronavirus]] vaccine by the end of the year.<ref>U.S. Dept. of Defense, Coronavirus: Operation Warp Speed, https://www.defense.gov/Explore/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Operation-Warp-Speed/</ref>  

'''Operation Warp Speed''' ('''OWS''') was a [[Trump Administration]] era program that enabled for the swift development, production and delivery of vaccines that were to be used to inoculate the population against the [[COVID-19]] "China Virus" pandemic that struck the [[United States]] in 2020.  OWS was conceived by Department of Health and Human Services secretary [[Alex Azar]], a former pharmaceutical company executive who understood the motivations, risk tolerance and complexities of drug development, manufacturing and distribution.  It was immediately embraced by [[President Trump]], who ensured financial resources, attention, talent, and government support required for the initiatives success.<ref>Paul Mango | ''National Review'', The Truth about Trump’s Operation Warp Speed, https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/05/the-truth-about-trumps-operation-warp-speed/, May 4, 2021</ref> Officially announced on May 15, 2020, President Trump unveiled details of a "warp-speed" effort to create a [[Coronavirus]] vaccine by the end of the year.<ref>U.S. Dept. of Defense, Coronavirus: Operation Warp Speed, https://www.defense.gov/Explore/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Operation-Warp-Speed/</ref>  

Trump stated, "That means big and it means fast. A massive scientific, industrial and logistical endeavour unlike anything our country has seen since the [[Manhattan Project]]."  The program promoted the fast-track development and mass production of vaccines with multiple vaccine developers for distribution throughout the United States.  However, at the onset, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases warned, "There’s no guarantee that the vaccine is actually going to be effective," in testimony to Congress.<ref>David Smith | The Guardian, Trump unveils 'warp-speed' effort to create coronavirus vaccine by year's end, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/15/trump-coronavirus-warp-speed-vaccine-white-house, May 16, 2020</ref>   

Trump stated, "That means big and it means fast. A massive scientific, industrial and logistical endeavour unlike anything our country has seen since the [[Manhattan Project]]."  The program promoted the fast-track development and mass production of vaccines with multiple vaccine developers for distribution throughout the United States.  However, at the onset, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases warned, "There’s no guarantee that the vaccine is actually going to be effective," in testimony to Congress.<ref>David Smith | The Guardian, Trump unveils 'warp-speed' effort to create coronavirus vaccine by year's end, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/15/trump-coronavirus-warp-speed-vaccine-white-house, May 16, 2020</ref>  During the summer of 2020, the U.S. government began financing the manufacturing of up to 3 billion vaccines, months prior to any vaccine being granted Emergency Use Authorization.<ref>Paul Mango | ''National Review'', The Truth about Trump’s Operation Warp Speed, https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/05/the-truth-about-trumps-operation-warp-speed/, May 4, 2021</ref>

During the Trump Administration - from May 2020 to January 2021, the program was headed by Moncef Slaoui, and then later by David A. Kessler.<ref>Karen Zraick | ''The New York Times'', Meet the key members of Biden's Covid-19 response team, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/24/us/bidens-covid-19-response-team.html, February 24, 2021</ref>  Through unprecedented efforts and removal of obstacle procedural hurdles, multiple vaccines were developed, distributed and administered within months of the first discovered case of the virus in the United States.  The vaccines developed at "warp-speed" were eventually deemed to be safe and effective, and were provided to the public "free-of-charge."

During the Trump Administration - from May 2020 to January 2021, the program was headed by Dr. Moncef Slaoui.<ref>Karen Zraick | ''The New York Times'', Meet the key members of Biden's Covid-19 response team, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/24/us/bidens-covid-19-response-team.html, February 24, 2021</ref>  A number of other noteworthy leaders joined Slaoui in the efforts, including Carlo de Notaristefani, a distinguished pharmaceutical manufacturing expert, Dr. [[Francis Collins]] of the [[National Institutes of Health]], who oversaw the clinical trials, Generals Perna, Ostrowski, and Sharpsten from the Army Logistics Command and Dr. Anita Patel of the CDC, who together organized the distribution and administration of vaccines and [[Jared Kushner]], who served as [[White House]] liaison.<ref>Paul Mango | ''National Review'', The Truth about Trump’s Operation Warp Speed, https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/05/the-truth-about-trumps-operation-warp-speed/, May 4, 2021</ref>

 

Through unprecedented efforts and removal of obstacle procedural hurdles, multiple vaccines were developed, distributed and administered within months of the first discovered case of the virus in the United States.  The vaccines developed at "warp-speed" were eventually deemed to be safe and effective, and were provided to the public "free-of-charge."

==Outbreak and Response==

==Outbreak and Response==

The first discovered/confirmed case of the novel coronavirus outbreak SARS-COV-2, aka COVID-19 in the United States, was documented on January 21, 2020.<ref>TEGNA | WUSA 90, US hits 6 months since first reported COVID-19 https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-for-6-months-in-us/507-a1e04038-1bab-4f6c-8d77-440c3004619b, July 21, 2020</ref>  Announced on January 31, 2020 and later enforced on February 2, 2020, Trump advocated for a complete ban on travel from mainland China<ref>''Snopes'', Did Trump Ban All Travel From China at the Start of the Pandemic?,  https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-ban-travel-china-pandemic/, September 22, 2020</ref> and barred foreign nationals who had recently visited China from entering the United States, as his administration continued to assess the growing threat of a potential coronavirus outbreak.<ref>''The New York Times'' | Katie Rogers, Trump Defends Closing Borders to Travelers to Fight Coronavirus, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/02/us/politics/trump-super-bowl-interview-coronavirus.html, February 2, 2020</ref>

The first discovered/confirmed case of the novel coronavirus outbreak SARS-COV-2, aka COVID-19 in the United States, was documented on January 21, 2020.<ref>TEGNA | WUSA 90, US hits 6 months since first reported COVID-19 https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-for-6-months-in-us/507-a1e04038-1bab-4f6c-8d77-440c3004619b, July 21, 2020</ref>  Announced on January 31, 2020 and later enforced on February 2, 2020, Trump advocated for a complete ban on travel from mainland China<ref>''Snopes'', Did Trump Ban All Travel From China at the Start of the Pandemic?,  https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-ban-travel-china-pandemic/, September 22, 2020</ref> and barred foreign nationals who had recently visited China from entering the United States, as his administration continued to assess the growing threat of a potential coronavirus outbreak.<ref>''The New York Times'' | Katie Rogers, Trump Defends Closing Borders to Travelers to Fight Coronavirus, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/02/us/politics/trump-super-bowl-interview-coronavirus.html, February 2, 2020</ref>

Project "MP2", which was later announced as ''Operation Warp Speed'' on May 15, 2020, was soon established and multiple companies were financed for the development of a vaccine.  Under Trump's guidance, the U.S. government purchased initial batches of vaccines from ''Moderna'', ''GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi'', ''Pfizer'', ''Novavax'', ''Johnson & Johnson'' and ''AstraZeneca'' before knowing whether they would be safe or effective.<ref>''Axios'' | Bob Herman, Trump administration buys 100 million doses of Moderna's vaccine, https://www.axios.com/moderna-vaccine-coronavirus-trump-690017d1-6348-4312-bc61-06d8b783b7ca.html, August 11, 2020</ref><ref>HHS.gov

Project "MP2", which was later announced as ''Operation Warp Speed'' on May 15, 2020, was soon established and multiple companies were financed for the development of vaccines.  Under Trump's guidance, the U.S. government purchased initial batches of vaccines from ''Moderna'', ''GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi'', ''Pfizer'', ''Novavax'', ''Johnson & Johnson'' and ''AstraZeneca'' before knowing whether they would be safe or effective.<ref>''Axios'' | Bob Herman, Trump administration buys 100 million doses of Moderna's vaccine, https://www.axios.com/moderna-vaccine-coronavirus-trump-690017d1-6348-4312-bc61-06d8b783b7ca.html, August 11, 2020</ref><ref>HHS.gov

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Trump Administration purchases additional 100 million doses of COVID-19 investigational vaccine from Pfizer, https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/12/23/trump-administration-purchases-additional-100-million-doses-covid-19-investigational-vaccine-pfizer.html, December 23, 2020</ref>

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Trump Administration purchases additional 100 million doses of COVID-19 investigational vaccine from Pfizer, https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/12/23/trump-administration-purchases-additional-100-million-doses-covid-19-investigational-vaccine-pfizer.html, December 23, 2020</ref>

American pharmaceutical company ''Pfizer'' and German biotechnology company ''BioNTech'' collaborated and developed the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine<ref>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/pfizer/index.html</ref> and American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company ''Moderna'' developed the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.<ref>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/moderna/index.html</ref>  Both vaccines, based on messenger Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA) technology, were authorized by the FDA, shortly after the 2020 Presidential election was held.<ref>Adrianna Rodriguez | USA Today, Two COVID-19 vaccines are now authorized in the US; here's what we know about them, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/12/21/covid-vaccine-pfizer-biontech-moderna-everything-know-them/3955331001/, December 21, 2020</ref>  Following FDA approval, distribution began immediately via prearranged methods organized by the Trump Administration's COVID-19 task force.

American pharmaceutical company ''Pfizer'' and German biotechnology company ''BioNTech'' collaborated and developed the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine<ref>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/pfizer/index.html</ref> and American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company ''Moderna'' developed the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.<ref>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/moderna/index.html</ref>  Both vaccines, based on messenger Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA) technology, were authorized by the FDA, shortly after the 2020 Presidential election was held.<ref>Adrianna Rodriguez | USA Today, Two COVID-19 vaccines are now authorized in the US; here's what we know about them, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/12/21/covid-vaccine-pfizer-biontech-moderna-everything-know-them/3955331001/, December 21, 2020</ref>  Following FDA approval, distribution began immediately via prearranged methods organized by the Trump Administration's COVID-19 task force.

The COVID-19 vaccines were administered by a variety of healthcare professionals that included: doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physicians assistants, and pharmacy technicians.  These professionals received training on how to administer the vaccine and how to manage the very rare side effects of the vaccines.<ref>Fran Kritz | Very Well Health, Who Can Administer COVID-19 Vaccines?, https://www.verywellhealth.com/who-can-administer-covid-19-vaccines-5094165, January 4, 2021</ref>  The first U.S. vaccinations for COVID-19 were administered on December 14, 2020.  Sandra Lindsay, a critical care nurse was the first inoculated, via the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, in New York during a livestreamed event with Gov. [[Andrew Cuomo]].<ref>Ivan Pereira | ABC News, US administers 1st doses of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, https://abcnews.go.com/US/us-administer-1st-doses-pfizer-coronavirus-vaccine/story?id=74703018, December 14, 2020</ref>

The COVID-19 vaccines were administered by a variety of healthcare professionals that included: doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physicians assistants, and pharmacy technicians.  These professionals received training on how to administer the vaccine and how to manage the very rare side effects of the vaccines.<ref>Fran Kritz | Very Well Health, Who Can Administer COVID-19 Vaccines?, https://www.verywellhealth.com/who-can-administer-covid-19-vaccines-5094165, January 4, 2021</ref>  The first U.S. vaccinations for COVID-19 were administered on December 14, 2020.  Sandra Lindsay, a critical care nurse was the first inoculated, via the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, in New York during a livestreamed event with Gov. [[Andrew Cuomo]].<ref>Ivan Pereira | ABC News, US administers 1st doses of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, https://abcnews.go.com/US/us-administer-1st-doses-pfizer-coronavirus-vaccine/story?id=74703018, December 14, 2020</ref>