As the public's faith in getting a safe coronavirus vaccine dwindles, New York says it will independently research any treatment the federal government approves.
The state is creating two task forces— one to look at the safety of a future vaccine, and one to figure out how to get them out to the people.
The latest numbers from the Pew Research Center show just over half of Americans say they would probably or definitely get a vaccine, if it were available today. That's down from 72% in the spring.
One state task force will look at the vaccine's safety and effectiveness each time the federal officials give one the green light.
A second task force will come up with the best way to distribute them to more than 19 million New Yorkers.
These changes come as the Gov. Andrew Cuomo worries the vaccine process has become too politicized.
"Is the vaccine safe? Frankly, I'm not going to trust the federal government's opinion, and I wouldn't recommend to New Yorkers based on the federal government's opinion," Gov. Cuomo said during his coronavirus brief Thursday.
The timeline to get a vaccine approved has been a battle with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, saying next spring or summer, while the president is pushing for one next month.