"I’m not, but I would never begrudge any American taking the advice of their physician," Pence was quoted as saying in response to a question at a media interview on whether he was taking hydroxychloroquine.
On Monday, Trump said during a press conference that he has been taking hydroxychloroquine on the recommendation of his doctor at the White House. The US president has touted hydroxychloroquine in tandem with zinc and azithromycin as an effective treatment of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Pence said that his own physician had not yet recommended him to use the drug, but added that he would not hesitate to take it if given such counsel by physicians and that any American should do the same.
The Vice President noted he is in good health and has received information from various sources about the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in treating COVID-19.
"I get a lot of tremendously positive news on the hydroxychloroquine. What do you have to lose?" Pence said.
Pence noted that hydroxychloroquine has been around for more than 40 years for the treatment of malaria and lupus.
"Early in this process, the FDA approved what’s called off-label use where physicians could prescribe hydroxychloroquine in terms they deemed appropriate," he said.
Numerous epidemiologists and virologists such as Dr. Didier Raoult have praised hydroxychloroquine as an effective and inexpensive treatment for COVID-19 when combined with zinc and azithromycin.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on 11 May did not find evidence that hydroxychloroquine would be an effective treatment for COVID-19 patients.
However, a study published by National Institutes of Health in August of 2005 found that chloroquine is a potent inhibitor of the SARS coronavirus infection and spread.
