WASHINGTON, D.C. — Vice President Mike Pence is in charge of the nation’s response to the coronavirus, but now many on social media are re-examining how he handled an HIV outbreak when he was governor of Indiana.
When more than 200 people in Scott County were infected in 2015, the idea was presented for a needle exchange. Pence told Fox News yesterday that he doesn’t believe in needle exchanges as a way to combat drug use.
“I this case we came to the conclusion that we had a public health emergency,” Pence said. “So I took executive action to make a limited needle-exchange available.”
Then-Governor Pence originally responded by saying he was going to go home and pray on it.
The exchange was eventually established two months after the outbreak. Trump on Wednesday said Pence is “very expert at the field” of healthcare and will do a great job confronting the coronavirus.
Pence’s appointment was raked over the coals by some Democrats.
