White House Reportedly Told FDA Head: Approve Vaccine Today Or Resign

Topline

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told the head of the Food and Drug Administration on Friday to either sign off on Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine by the end of the day or hand in his resignation, the Washington Post reported, another push by the White House to approve the vaccine as quickly as possible after a panel of scientists ruled it safe this week.

Key Facts

Crucial Quote

“The FDA was encouraged to continue working expeditiously on Pfizer-BioNTech’s EUA request,” Hahn said in a statement explaining his call with Meadows. “FDA is committed to issuing this authorization quickly.”

What To Watch For

The FDA is widely expected to grant emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s vaccine in the coming days, after it finishes up various regulatory and procedural steps. Millions of vaccine doses will be shipped across the country within 24 hours of the FDA’s final sign-off, the New York Times reported, and the first patients could get the vaccine by next week.

Key Background

The FDA’s Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, a group of doctors and public health experts, greenlit Pfizer’s vaccine on Thursday after hours of discussion. The committee deemed the vaccine safe and effective against Covid-19, based on promising data from clinical trials. Pfizer’s candidate will be the first vaccine to reach patients, though the FDA is considering another highly effective vaccine from Moderna next week.

Tangent

Trump has spent months pressuring the FDA to move Covid-19 vaccines through the approval process as quickly as possible, baselessly accusing the agency of somehow deliberately delaying vaccine trials. In contrast, experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci — who sits on the White House’s coronavirus task force — have worked to combat the perception that the approval process is rushed, warning people could distrust the final product as a result.

Further Reading

White House orders FDA chief to authorize Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Friday or submit his resignation (Washington Post)

Vaccine Advisory Committee Endorses Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine, Paves Way For FDA Authorization (Forbes)