"Hope I Didn't Catch Covid": Trump As Health Secretarty Sneezes In Oval Office

US President Donald Trump and the attendees at the White House had a chuckle when Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, standing a foot behind him, sneezed. 

During a White House briefing on plans to lower prescription drug costs by announcing a deal with Pfizer, Kennedy Jr sneezed into his elbow. Trump, who was speaking about efforts to reduce insulin prices during his first administration, joked, "God bless you, Bobby. I hope I didn't catch Covid just there." 

As the officials laughed, he immediately turned to the Pfizer CEO, Albert Bourla and suggested that he should take Paxlovid, a medication used to treat the Covid-19 symptoms. "Don't you have Paxlovid? asked Trump.

"He's got Paxlovid. Give me a Paxlovid immediately," he quipped.

.@SecKennedy: *Sneezes in the Oval Office*@POTUS: "God bless you Bobby. I hope I didn't catch COVID just there."

"Give me a Paxlovid immediately," he says to the CEO of Pfizer. ???? pic.twitter.com/IbsJy9x3Gr

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 30, 2025

Pfizer has secured a three-year grace period from the tariffs imposed by Trump on pharmaceuticals. This means the company won't have to pay the higher tariffs for now, which will keep drug costs lower and ease financial pressure on its imports.

He also unveiled "TrumpRx," a new website where people can buy medicines directly from Pfizer, cutting out the middleman to make drugs cheaper. He said the website would be run by the federal government but did not share details on how it would operate, according to NBC News. 

He announced that drugs in the US will now be sold at a lower price. "This is a really big announcement. This is something that most people said was not doable," he said.

Last week, Trump announced 100 per cent tariffs on pharmaceutical drugs, which will take effect from October 1. He further said the tariffs, however, would not apply to companies building manufacturing plants in the US.

In 2024, the US imported nearly $233 billion in pharmaceutical and medicinal products.

Earlier, in July, Trump sent letters to 17 pharma giants asking them to match the lower prices their medicines are sold for in other countries, calling this policy "most favoured nation pricing."