Anti-Mask Republican Congressman Will Lead COVID Drug Trial

The Hill: Congressman Who Denounced Mask Wearing Overseeing The Trial Of A Drug To Treat COVID-19 
Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) is overseeing the trial for a drug to potentially treat COVID-19 after denouncing wearing masks and stay-at-home orders, Politico reported on Thursday. Harris, a medical doctor, took on the unpaid job of joining the data and safety monitoring committee for a drug trial handled by NeuroRx, whose CEO and founder Jonathan Javitt has connections to the representative. (Coleman, 9/17)

CNN: US Coronavirus: America Doesn't Have To Wait For A Vaccine To Get Covid-19 Under Control, Nation's Top Doctor Says 
With the timeline of a widely available vaccine still unknown, the nation's top doctor says the US doesn't have to wait to get Covid-19 under control. "We can do it right now," US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said Thursday. "The tools to stop this virus are already in our communities." (Maxouris, 9/18)

Fox News: Fauci Would Bet On Effective And Safe Coronavirus Vaccine By November Or December
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, said Wednesday that he would bet on a coronavirus vaccine to be proven safe and effective before the end of 2020.‘‘ I would still put my money on November/December,” he said, during a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute panel on global pandemics. (Aaro, 9/18)

In other vaccine news —

PBS NewsHour: Is The U.S. Government Paying Twice For Coronavirus Vaccine? 
COVID-19 vaccine development continues to be the subject of political jostling, with President Trump contradicting top U.S. health officials regarding timeline and efficacy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say they expect to distribute vaccines publicly at no cost to the patient. But what will the government pay, and how much could drug companies profit? (Solman, 9/17)

Politico: Vaccine Distribution Isn’t As Easy As Trump Wants People To Think
President Donald Trump is suggesting a coronavirus vaccine can be delivered widely in a matter of weeks. But states ultimately tasked with leading the distribution effort are already confronting a host of logistical and supply chain challenges that could dash the Trump administration’s hopes of quickly distributing a vaccine once it’s approved. State and federal officials must ensure providers are equipped to administer a vaccine that needs to be kept at extremely cold temperatures, as one of the leading vaccine candidates would require. States are also missing out on desperately sought federal funding to hire and train staff to administer the shots, as they’re also trying to amass basic supplies. Some states may also rely on a new, untested federally designed system to track who’s getting shots and manage supplies. (Roubein and Goldberg, 9/17)

The Hill: Americans' Willingness To Take COVID-19 Vaccine Down 21 Points Since April: Poll 
As the race to get a COVID-19 vaccination to market is heating up, public sentiment surrounding the vaccine is conversely cooling down. New data from Morning Consult suggests that only 51 percent of the U.S. population would receive a COVID-19 vaccine if one became available — a sizable decline from the 72 percent of Americans who said they would take a dose of a future vaccine back in April. (Kelley, 9/17)

CNN: Two HBCU Presidents Joined Covid-19 Vaccine Trials To Highlight The Importance Of Black Participation 
When the presidents of two historically Black colleges announced they were participating in a Covid-19 vaccine trial, they hoped to encourage other African Americans to do the same to ensure that an eventual vaccine has been tested on -- and is effective for -- people of color. Instead, they've been met with widespread skepticism from people who point to the United States' history of unethical medical experiments on Black people. (Andone, 9/18)