The Trump administration has indicated that it will not participate in international coalition efforts to find and distribute a vaccine for Covid-19 because the World Health Organization (WHO) is involved.

The Washington Post newspaper reported that the White House would not join 172 other countries participating in a WHO-led initiative to "ensure equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, once they are licensed and approved".

White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement that the US would "continue to engage our international partners to ensure we defeat the virus, but we will not be constrained by multilateral organisations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organization and China".

US President Donald Trump has attacked the WHO over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, accusing it of being biased towards China in how it issued its guidance.