Hacker News Reader

Comment by nablaoperator | Hacker News Reader

CureVac press release: https://www.curevac.com/news/curevac-focuses-on-the-developm...

"...rejects allegations about offers for acquisition of the company or its technology."

However: `Germany’s Health Ministry confirmed a report in newspaper Welt am Sonntag, which said President Donald Trump had offered funds to lure the company CureVac to the United States. Contacted by Reuters, a spokeswoman for the German Health Ministry said: “We confirm the report in the Welt am Sonntag.”`

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/15/coronavirus-germany-tries-to...

That is a different thing then what was alleged in this article (that the Americans were trying to produce a vaccine only for the US).

By the way, the trick with anonymous sources is to always see who is actually quoted in the article, and assume that the anonymous source is what the real source wants to say, but doesn't obviously want to say it. In this case:

Karl Lauterbach, a professor of health economics and epidemiology who is also a senior lawmaker with the Social Democrats, junior partners in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition, tweeted in reaction to the Welt am Sonntag report:

“The exclusive sale of a possible vaccine to the USA must be prevented by all means. Capitalism has limits.”

The article says: `Welt am Sonntag quoted an unidentified German government source as saying Trump was trying to secure the scientists’ work exclusively, and would do anything to get a vaccine for the United States, “but only for the United States.”` as well as `Contacted by Reuters, a spokeswoman for the German Health Ministry said: “We confirm the report in the Welt am Sonntag.”`

So the question is: What does `only for the United States` mean exactly?

If you go look at the report, the report only references that the US was in talks to fund vaccines, not the "only for the US" part.

You mean the report by "Welt am Sonntag"? They say `Der Grund: US-Präsident Donald Trump versucht offenbar [...] das Medikament exklusiv für sein Land zu sichern. Das erfuhr WELT AM SONNTAG aus deutschen Regierungskreisen.`

Translated: US president Donald Trump tried to safeguard the medication exclusively for his country. WELT AM SONNTAG got this information from government sources.

No I mean the confirmation.

So I guess it's mere coincidence the CEO left 4 days ago

https://www.curevac.com/news/company-founder-ingmar-hoerr-su...

Reply on news.ycombinator.com