Trump pushes for swift approval of Pfizer as other vaccines struggle

WASHINGTON, United States – On Friday, President Donald Trump pressed the US drug regulator to swiftly approve the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine as the United States prepared to roll out mass immunizations.

The Washington Post reported that the White House told the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Stephen Hahn, to submit his resignation if the agency does not approve the vaccine by the end of the day.

Hahn later challenged the characterization of the call, but the alleged threat came when Trump tweeted that the agency was a “big, old, slow turtle” and told Hahn to get the “dam vaccines” right away.

A committee of experts had already voted to grant an emergency use authorization, expected in a few days, as the FDA worked to clarify last-minute details with Pfizer.

These included an information sheet for physicians. The FDA has said it wants to warn people with severe allergies to avoid injections for now.

Trump’s intervention reintroduces politics into the scientific process, which could undermine confidence in vaccines in the worst-affected country in the world, where the death toll is approaching 300,000.

It was also unclear whether having an EUA a day or two earlier than expected would change when the first Americans, residents of nursing homes and healthcare workers, would receive their injections, which is expected on Monday or Tuesday.

The country expects to vaccinate 20 million people this month.

As the United States prepared to become the latest country to green-light the Pfizer coup, two other vaccine candidates stumbled on Friday.

France’s Sanofi and Britain’s GSK said on Friday their vaccine would not be ready until the end of 2021.

The new results showed a low immune response in older adults, the researchers said.

And in Australia, development of a vaccine at the University of Queensland was abandoned on Friday after clinical trials produced a false positive HIV result among subjects involved in the first tests.

The mixed news on the vaccine front comes as infections rapidly accelerated in North America and parts of Africa, but began to stabilize in Europe and declined in Asia and the Middle East.

Worldwide, more than 1.58 million lives have been lost to Covid-19 since it emerged in China a year ago, according to an AFP tally from official sources.

The World Health Organization warned on Friday that Christmas celebrations could turn to tears if people don’t stay on guard against Covid-19 during the holiday season.

– Sputnik mix –

Britain this week became the first Western country to implement the Pfizer-BioNTech jab, which was also approved by Canada, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

The first vaccine shipments to 14 sites across Canada are scheduled to arrive on Monday, with people receiving vaccinations a day or two later.

Israel, which accepted its first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine on Wednesday, is targeting a December 27 launch.

And Hong Kong said on Friday it had struck deals for two vaccines, one from Pfizer and the other from Beijing-based Sinovac, with plans to launch a campaign in early 2021.

AstraZeneca is also testing a new combination approach, the Russian operation of which said it would mix its injection with locally made Sputnik V vaccine in clinical trials.

Russia and China have already started inoculation efforts with domestically produced vaccines that have been the subject of less rigorous research, while EU countries eagerly await approval of two options.

The EU watchdog said it would deliver decisions on the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in late December and early January, respectively.

However, many questions remain about vaccines.

Key questions include whether more side effects will arise with longer follow-up, how long the vaccine will remain effective, whether it will limit transmission, and how it will work in children, pregnant women, and immunosuppressed patients.

– Carbon down –

As Europe’s surge slows slightly, France plans to lift a six-week lockdown starting Tuesday, but will impose a curfew starting at 8:00 p.m., including on New Year’s Eve.

Greece also announced new plans on Friday to reduce the quarantine time for incoming travelers and reopen churches for Christmas, while some small shops like barber shops and bookstores may open their doors from Monday.

But Switzerland, which is experiencing a strong resurgence of cases, announced a 7:00 p.m. curfew for shops, restaurants and bars.

“Our hospitals and our healthcare workers are doing their best. We couldn’t wait any longer, ”President Simonetta Sommaruga said at a press conference in the capital Bern.

While the lockdowns have brought financial pain, boredom, and a myriad of other problems, the effect on the environment has been more positive.

Carbon emissions fell a record seven percent in 2020 when countries imposed lockdowns, according to the Global Carbon Project.

The biggest drops were recorded in the United States, 12 percent, and the European Union, 11 percent.

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