WASHINGTON – The scientist leading the Trump administration’s coronavirus vaccine program will be allowed to remain a government contractor, a decision that allows him to avoid required ethical disclosures from federal employees and maintain his investments in pharmaceutical companies.
Two prominent surveillance groups, as well as some Democrats in Congress, called on the Department of Health and Human Services to demand that the scientist, Dr. Moncef Slaoui, a venture capitalist and a former executive at the pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, be governed by the same ethics. rules as federal employees.
The HHS inspector general’s office responded this week that it could not require such a change, citing the unusual role Dr. Slaoui was playing in administration amid the pandemic.
As senior advisor to the vaccine program, called Operation Warp Speed, Dr. Slaoui is working on a contract that pays him $ 1. Under the agreement, he is exempt from federal disclosure rules that would require him to list his external positions, holdings of shares and other possible conflicts of interest.
That deal has alarmed lawmakers, who have accused HHS of helping Dr. Slaoui, an expert in molecular biology and immunology, bypass the usual responsibility that is required of government employees.
The groups that filed the May complaint, Public Citizen and Lower Drug Prices Now, argued that Dr. Slaoui would be classified as a “special government employee,” a label that allows the federal government to hire outside experts for up to 130 days. The title would make it subject to ethical rules that also apply to regular government employees.
The $ 1 contract, the groups said, appears “designed primarily to allow Slaoui to maintain an extensive network of conflicting financial interests without the need to undo, recuse, or disclose those conflicting interests” and “provides Slaoui with an opportunity to enrich himself , your colleagues and your employers. “
In his response to the groups, an official from the inspector general’s office said Dr. Slaoui’s appointment is expected to extend beyond 200 days, well beyond what he said was the “legal time limit applicable “for a special government employee.
The inspector general’s office “is not in a position to determine that the department’s decision was unreasonable when it sought options other than an SGE appointment,” the July 13 letter concluded.
In his role, Dr. Slaoui has a significant influence on the financial commitments made by the government, which has so far provided little information about Warp Speed’s resources, which agencies the funding comes from, or how decisions are made.
“The basic idea that you are in a really privileged position with lots of resources to command and that you have a personal financial stake in the industry is really challenging,” said Margarida Jorge, director of the campaign to lower drug prices now. “Everyone can appreciate that Slaoui has experience in vaccine development, but experience and ethics should not be mutually exclusive. ”
A group of Democratic lawmakers, including Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, wrote separately last month to Alex M. Azar II, the health secretary, requesting that Dr. Slaoui be appointed as a special government employee. They called Dr. Slaoui’s contract “a final attempt around federal ethical standards.”
Ms. Jorge said her organization and other watchdog groups planned to meet on Wednesday afternoon to discuss new ways to challenge Dr. Slaoui’s status.
The Trump administration has invested nearly $ 4 billion in companies seeking coronavirus vaccines. Last week, HHS announced that the federal government will pay Novavax, a Maryland company that has never released a product to the market, $ 1.6 billion to accelerate the development of a coronavirus vaccine.
The coronavirus outbreak>
Frequent questions
Updated on July 15, 2020
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Is the coronavirus in the air?
- Coronavirus can remain in the air for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, growing scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain overcast events reported in meat packing plants, churches, and restaurants. It is unclear how often the virus is transmitted through these tiny droplets or sprays, compared to larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or is transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, Linsey said. Marr, Virginia Tech aerosol expert. Aerosols are released even when a symptom-free person exhales, speaks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have summarized the evidence in an open letter to the World Organization. Of the health.
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What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
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What is the best material for a mask?
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Is it more difficult to exercise with a mask?
- A comment published this month on the British Journal of Sports Medicine website notes that covering your face during exercise “comes with potential respiratory restriction problems and discomfort” and requires “balance benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks disrupt exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, president and chief scientific officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people may also experience lightheadedness during family workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
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I heard about a treatment called dexamethasone. Works?
- The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment that reduces mortality in seriously ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced respirator patient deaths by one third and oxygen patient deaths by one fifth.
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What is a pandemic paid leave?
- The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid vacations if they need to take time off due to the virus. Gives qualified workers two weeks paid sick leave if they are sick, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for the coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. Provides 12 weeks of paid vacation to caregivers of children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is not available due to the coronavirus. It is the first time that the United States has a federally mandated, general paid leave and includes people who generally do not obtain such benefits, such as part-time and work economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private sector workers, including those of the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
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Does Covid-19 transmit asymptomatic?
- So far, the evidence seems to show that it does. A widely cited article published in April suggests that people are most infectious approximately two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms, and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were the result of transmission from people who still had no symptoms. Recently, a senior expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people without symptoms was “very rare,” but later withdrew that claim.
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What is the risk of contracting coronavirus from a surface?
- Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with germs is not usually the way the virus spreads. But it can happen. Several studies of the flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus, and other microbes have shown that respiratory diseases, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places such as daycares, offices, and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from the coronavirus, be it superficial transmission or close human contact, is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face, and wearing masks.
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How does blood type influence the coronavirus?
- A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. According to the new study, having type A blood was associated with a 50 percent increase in the probability that a patient would need to get oxygen or use a ventilator.
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How can I protect myself while I fly?
- If air travel is unavoidable, there are a few steps you can take to protect yourself. Most importantly: wash your hands often and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. An Emory University study found that during the flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people . Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use sanitizing wipes to clean hard surfaces of your seat such as head and armrest, seat belt buckle, remote control, display, back pocket and tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or leather, you can also clean it. (Using wipes on upholstered seats may cause a wet seat and spread of germs instead of killing them.)
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What should I do if I feel sick?
Dr. Slaoui spent his first days on the job in May trying to separate parts of his stock portfolio and other ties to pharmaceutical interests. Before working for the Trump administration, he sat on the board of Moderna, a biotech company looking for a coronavirus vaccine. He sold his shares in the company after the value of his stocks skyrocketed after the release of preliminary vaccine trial data.
The Trump administration said at the time that Dr. Slaoui would donate the highest value to cancer research.
In an interview in May, Dr. Slaoui said he was determined to avoid conflict and that he would reevaluate any remaining partnerships if his financial interests could gain more from his new position.
A HHS spokeswoman reiterated Wednesday that Dr. Slaoui has resigned from Moderna’s board and dumped his capital, in addition to leaving the company’s advisory boards “even with the appearance of conflict.”
“HHS ethics officers have determined that Dr. Slaoui’s contractor status, divestment, and board resignations bring him in compliance with our strong department’s ethical standards,” the spokeswoman said.
Shortly after Dr. Slaoui was brought into the Warp Speed Project, his leadership experienced more turmoil, in part due to his properties, according to senior administration officials.
Dr. Peter Marks, a renowned federal scientist who devised and initially oversaw the Warp Speed project at the Food and Drug Administration, departed from his role as its chief vaccine specialist, in part due to concerns about what saw as Dr. Slaoui’s potential. conflicts of interest, officials said. Dr. Marks is the director of the FDA’s Center for Biological Assessment and Research, the office that approves vaccines.
