US President Donald Trump has attacked the government agency that oversees the safety of coronavirus vaccine development, claiming that members of the “deep state” at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are deliberately slowing the progress so that a vaccine does not would be available after the November elections.
In a Twitter post, Trump said the deep state “as who” at the FDA made it very difficult for drug companies to enroll people in clinical trials to test vaccines and therapies for the new coronavirus. There is no public evidence to support the accusation and the president provided none.
Trump has in the past used the term “deep state” to refer to long-serving government personnel who, in the eyes of the president, intend to undermine his agenda.
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The remark came after Reuters bureau on Thursday reported that a top FDA official said he would resign if the Trump administration approved a fax before it was shown safely and effectively.
“Of course, they hope to delay the response until after November 3. Must focus on speed, and save lives!” Trump wrote, at the same time FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn tagged in the tweet.
The indictment won a swift dismissal of top Democrat Nancy Pelosi, who called the statement “dangerous” and “off the pole”.
With the coronavirus dominating the campaign in 2020, scientists, public health officials and lawmakers are worried that the Trump administration will pressure the FDA to approve a vaccine prior to the vote, even if data from clinical trials it does not support widespread use.
Threat to dismiss
Peter Marks, the director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said last week at a conference call with government officials, pharmaceutical executives and academics that he would resign if the agency stamped an unproven vaccine, according to Reuters.
Marks, whose division regulates biotech treatments, vaccines and gene therapies, told Reuters he had no political pressure and that the FDA would be led by science alone.
If that changes, he told the news agency on Thursday, “I would feel obligated (dismissal), because if I did this I would tell the American public that something is wrong.”
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The coronavirus has so far killed more than 176,000 people in the US and infected at least 5.6 million. In terms of business and death numbers, the US is the hardest hit country in the world.
Several of the most promising vaccines in the world are being developed by the US, and the White House, through its “Warp Speed” operation, aims to produce 300 million vaccine doses, with the first batch available before 21 January.
The government has thrown billions of dollars into private companies that judge to have the best shot at developing a successful vaccine. The plan also includes scaling up production of candidates who are considered most likely to succeed, even before the faxes have proven effective and safe for widespread use.
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
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