Mr. Speaker, in January 2020, the genetic sequence of the COVID-19 virus was made public so that scientists around the world could begin the race for a vaccine. The government did not take action to develop a vaccine domestically.
Two months later, on March 11, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic. The government stayed in neutral. The panel of experts that was supposed to advise the government on domestic vaccine production met for the first time on June 26.
It is unbelievable. While others had been racing for a vaccine for six months, the government was still in the starting blocks. Why?