U.S. Presidential Candidate Joe Biden Supports Free Coronavirus Tests and Vaccines for Undocumented Immigrants

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden has spoken up in support of undocumented immigrants getting free COVID-19 tests and vaccines.

Just a few weeks ago, Biden published his $775 billion plan to support caregivers and essential workers who have been directly impacted by the coronavirus. At a virtual meeting that was recently held, the Democratic presidential candidate and former vice president said that he is in support of more free services which includes tests and potential vaccines for undocumented immigrants and other marginalized groups.

“Every person in the country, whether they’re documented or undocumented should have access to a vaccine, if and when it occurs, should have access to testing and treatment and hospitalization if it relates to the virus,” Biden said in his speech the joint virtual meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). “And that should occur, period. It’s in the interest of everyone that everyone should be taken care of, and everyone should be eligible for that.”

At the virtual meeting, Biden also expressed that the free health services shouldn’t be limited to the COVID-19 era alone, but to eventually become permanent as a way of encouraging undocumented immigrants living in the United States. He said the government can aid immigrants transition by expanding programs such as the CARES Act so that marginalized groups can have the option of buying private insurance.

“If they are working in the United States of America and they are paying taxes, they should have access to health care,” he said. “They should have access to what everybody else has access to.

As part of Biden’s political campaign, the politician has promised that “there will not be another foot of [any] wall constructed in my administration”, adding that he will not confiscate any private land to build barriers.

President Donald Trump made an appearance in a Geraldo Rivera radio show on Thursday morning where he was asked about the possibility of having vaccines ready by November 3. The president replied that there were some possibilities for vaccines to be ready “right around that time.” A few hours later the president told reporters on the White House lawn that he was quite “optimistic” that there’ll be vaccines ready right “around that date”.

“I believe we’ll have the vaccine before the end of the year, certainly, but around that date, yes, I think so,” President Trump said.

On the contrary to the president’s assumptions, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and Anthony Fauci, a top infectious disease official in the country, do not see the possibility of vaccines being ready by the November 3 presidential elections.

Fauci said on Wednesday in an interview with Reuters that he was “cautiously optimistic that we will have a vaccine that’s effective enough to get approved.” He projected the beginning of 2021 for any vaccine to get full approval. He also said that the November 3 elections will in no way influence vaccine approval. Health regulators have also promised that “they are not going to let political considerations interfere.”