Echoing President Donald Trump's recent comments that the U.S. will reopen whether a COVID-19 vaccine is available or not, HHS Secretary Alex Azar said "everything does not depend on a vaccine," according to CNN.
Mr. Azar said that while the White House is committed to delivering a vaccine, it is only one part of a "multi-factorial response program," during a CNN interview.
Other parts of the plan include testing symptomatic people, broader surveillance of cases, containing surges and therapeutics, Mr. Azar said.
On May 15, President Trump and HHS unveiled a vaccine effort called Operation Warp Speed, a program designed to drastically reduce the time it takes to get a COVID-19 vaccine to U.S. residents. The country will return to normal with or without a vaccine, the president had said.